Sending Mail to Guilford County Detention: What Gets Through and What Gets Rejected
Mail rules at Guilford County Detention are strict, but they're manageable once you know what triggers rejections. Follow the sections below to keep your letter flat, correctly labeled, and within limits—so it actually gets through.
Start with the envelope itself. Guilford County Detention requires a complete, legible return address with your first and last name. Missing it? Incomplete? Hard to read? The mail won't even get scanned. A perfectly written letter can get stopped before it reaches your loved one just because of the return address.
Add enough postage before you drop it in the mailbox. Mail with insufficient postage gets refused and returned. Sending a thicker envelope with multiple pages, photos, or a card? Double-check the postage so it doesn't come back unopened.
Keep each envelope short. Guilford County Detention limits mail to 10 pages per envelope. Got more to say? Split it into multiple letters instead of stuffing everything into one.
Stick to standard paper. Pages must be no larger than 8.5" x 11". Oversized pages can cause the whole envelope to be rejected, even if everything else is fine.
- ✓ Written or typed pages
- ✓ Photos (no polaroid photos)
- ✓ Drawings
- ✓ Greeting cards
Photos are allowed, but skip anything that looks like an instant-print. Polaroid photos aren't permitted - even harmless family pictures. Stick to standard photos and tuck them flat inside the envelope with your pages.
- ✓ Glitter
- ✓ Glue
- ✓ Tape
- ✓ 3D elements (anything raised or layered)
- ✓ Electronic components (lights, music, animation)
Warning: Don’t send cash, personal checks, or money orders to the mail processing center.
Want to send reading material? Don't mail books from home. Guilford County Detention only accepts books shipped directly from the publisher or a distributor - Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble are listed as examples. Order through an approved seller so it ships straight to the facility.
Legal mail follows different rules. Privileged mail must be clearly marked "Legal Mail," and staff will open it in the inmate's presence. Sending something time-sensitive or confidential? Make that marking obvious so it's handled correctly.
Send legal mail directly to the facility's street address - not the general mail processing address. Guilford County Detention has separate locations: the Greensboro facility at 201 S. Edgeworth St., Greensboro, NC 27401, and the High Point facility at 507 E. Green Drive, High Point, NC 27260. Include the inmate's full name and inmate ID number.
- Email the correct facility contact - Send your request to ygeorge@guilfordcountync.gov for High Point, or kclark0@guilfordcountync.gov for Greensboro.
- Include the required identity details - In the email, list the former inmate’s full name, the facility name (Greensboro or High Point), and the inmate ID number (not the commissary PIN).
- Add a working contact email - Provide the email address where you want the download link sent.
- Watch for the verification response - After the information is verified, you’ll receive an email with a link to download the postal scans.
Quick Tips and Reminders
- ✓ Write a complete, legible return address with your first and last name
- ✓ Add enough postage (postage due/insufficient postage will be refused)
- ✓ Keep it to 10 pages or less per envelope
- ✓ Use standard paper: no larger than 8.5" x 11"
- ✓ Keep everything flat: no glitter, glue, tape, 3D pieces, or electronics in cards
- ✓ Never send cash, personal checks, or money orders to the mail processing center
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