What you can and can’t mail to someone at Metropolitan Detention Center (clear checklist)
Mail rules at Metropolitan Detention Center are strict—but once you know what triggers a return, they're easy to follow. Use the checklist below to format your envelope correctly and make sure your letter stays within the rules.
Address your mail exactly as the facility requires, including the inmate's full name and MID number. Use the P.O. Box address for MDC mail processing: Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center, NM Inmate Name MID # P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131
Keep it simple: MDC only accepts letters written on plain or ruled white paper. You're limited to four pages/items total per letter. That wording matters - photos, cards, and written pages all count toward the same four-item cap.
Quick rule: You get 4 pages/items total per letter - your written pages plus any included items (like photos or cards) all count toward the same limit.
Photographs, greeting cards, and postcards are all allowed. Just remember: everything counts toward your four pages/items limit. Two written pages plus two photos? That's your full allotment. If you want to include multiple pictures or a card with photos, plan ahead so you don't exceed the cap.
MDC doesn't accept publications - books, magazines, newspapers, periodicals, journals, and newsletters all get returned. Packages aren't accepted either. If you want to stay connected through mail, stick to letters, photos, and approved cards or postcards that fit within the item limit.
All mail gets screened for security. Lewd material - anything obscene or meant to excite crude sexual desire, including explicit written descriptions and visual depictions of sexual activity - is prohibited. So are instructions for making drugs, weapons, explosives, or other illegal substances. Anything that threatens bodily harm, encourages revenge, or creates an unsafe environment for inmates or staff will be rejected.
Warning: MDC does not allow lewd material in mail - this applies to both written content and images meant to be sexually explicit or obscene.
Common Mistakes
- ✓ Don’t include anything meant for another MDC inmate - enclosures must be only for the named recipient.
- ✓ Write letters on plain or ruled white paper only.
- ✓ Keep each mailing to 4 pages/items total (written pages plus any photos/cards/postcards).
- ✓ Don’t mail publications (books, magazines, newspapers, periodicals, journals, newsletters) or books - these aren’t accepted and will be returned.
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