Mountain View's Mail Rules: White Paper, Blue or Black Ink, and What You Can't Send
Letters that don't match Mountain View's formatting rules can get held up or rejected outright. Here's what you need to know about paper, ink, cards, photos, and items that won't make it through.
Keep it simple. Use standard 8½" x 11" white paper and write in black or dark blue ink. If you prefer pencil, stick with black. No other colors are allowed.
Address reminder: Per an MVCF memo, effective April 7, 2023, all general correspondence for Mountain View residents must be mailed to 809 Cushing Road, Warren, ME 04864.
Packages, newspapers, magazines, and legal mail go to a different address: Resident's Name, Mountain View Correctional Facility, 1182 Dover Road, Charleston, Maine 04422. Using the correct address prevents delays and misrouting.
Greeting Cards Photos
- ✓ Use a simple greeting card: single card stock with one fold
- ✓ The back and inside must be white (except for the printed message)
- ✓ The front must have a white background so the picture doesn’t totally cover the front
- ✓ Don’t send oversized cards: anything larger than 8" x 11" is not allowed and will be immediately disposed of (not photocopied)
Photos follow a separate rule: they aren't scanned. Send pictures in their original, physical form only.
Forbidden Substances
- ✓ Don’t put any foreign substance in or on the mail (including “decorations”)
- ✓ No discoloration or stains of any kind
- ✓ No perfume or cologne
- ✓ No lipstick or powder
- ✓ No paint (including finger-paint)
- ✓ No crayon, colored pencil, chalk, charcoal, or marker
- ✓ No glue or glitter-glue
- ✓ No adhesive add-ons like stickers or tape
- ✓ No body fluids
- ✓ Do not send cash to any resident
Heads up: Mail containing foreign substances is prohibited. Oversized greeting cards (anything larger than 8" x 11") get thrown away immediately - they won't even be photocopied.
When in doubt, keep things basic. For photos, that means sending original prints - not scanned copies.
Before mailing anything unusual, double-check Mountain View's current mail guidance for the right address and format. Remember: general correspondence goes to 809 Cushing Road in Warren per the MVCF memo effective April 7, 2023.
Pre Mail Checklist
- ✓ Write on 8½" x 11" white paper
- ✓ Use black or dark blue ink (or black pencil only)
- ✓ Use white envelopes/correspondence paper only
- ✓ Address general correspondence to: 809 Cushing Road, Warren, ME 04864 (effective April 7, 2023)
- ✓ If sending a greeting card, keep it single-fold card stock with a white back/inside and a white-background front
- ✓ Do not send any greeting card larger than 8" x 11" (it will be disposed of)
- ✓ Keep mail free of any foreign substances (no perfume, glitter, stickers, glue, tape, stains, etc.)
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