Why Your Letter Got Destroyed: Muhlenberg's Mail Rules You Need to Know

All incoming mail at Muhlenberg County Detention is opened and inspected. Staff may read it. They're checking for contraband and rule violations. If your letter doesn't meet the jail's guidelines, it gets destroyed. No return to sender. A small formatting mistake can mean your loved one never sees what you wrote.

Your mail has to work with the jail's scanner. Muhlenberg sets strict size limits: no larger than 8 1/2" x 11" (letter size) and no smaller than 3 1/2" x 5" (postcard size). Paper can't be thicker than light card stock, and it must feed through a sheet-fed scanner smoothly. Skip bulky paper, layered items, or anything too stiff to run through.

Addressing matters too. The envelope needs your loved one's name and inmate ID, plus your return address. Missing either one gives mailroom staff a reason to flag it.

Want to include something with your letter? Keep it simple. Pictures are the only enclosures allowed. Even then, there are limits: up to six photographs per package, printed on photo paper, no larger than 4x6 inches.

• ✓ Stamps
• ✓ Blank envelopes
• ✓ Stationery
• ✓ Cash
• ✓ Checks
• ✓ Money orders
• ✓ Any other forms of currency

Some letters get destroyed because of what's printed on the pages, not what's tucked inside. Muhlenberg is clear: internet printouts will be destroyed. Colored pages will be destroyed. Provocative material will be destroyed.

Not all problem mail is treated the same. Some items get returned to sender: legal mail, certified mail requiring the inmate's signature, and mail with postage due. But mail that violates the general guidelines (wrong size, forbidden enclosures, internet printouts, colored pages, provocative content) gets destroyed. You won't get it back.

Pre Send Checklist

• ✓ Put the inmate’s name and inmate ID on the envelope.
• ✓ Add your return address on the envelope.
• ✓ Keep the mail within the allowed size range (no larger than 8 1/2" x 11", no smaller than 3 1/2" x 5").
• ✓ Make sure it isn’t thicker than light card stock and can feed through a sheet-fed scanner.
• ✓ Do not include printouts from the internet.
• ✓ Do not use colored pages.
• ✓ Do not include stamps, blank envelopes, or stationery.
• ✓ Do not include cash, checks, money orders, or any other form of currency.
• ✓ If you send photos, send only photos (no other enclosures).
• ✓ Limit photos to up to 6 per package, printed on photo paper, no larger than 4x6 inches.

Keep your letter from being destroyed by sticking to the basics. Address it with the inmate's name and inmate ID. Include your return address. Use paper that meets the size and scanner requirements. Skip internet printouts, colored pages, and anything provocative. Don't include stamps, blank envelopes, stationery, or any form of currency. If you want to send something extra, photos are the only option: up to six, printed on photo paper, 4x6 or smaller.