What You Can't Send in the Mail to MCSO Jails (and What Happens If You Do)
Want your letter to reach someone in MCSO custody? Address it correctly and leave out anything that counts as money or contraband. Here's what MCSO won't accept—and what happens when something isn't allowed.
All inmate mail for adults in MCSO custody goes through the Inverness Jail - even if the person is housed at the Detention Center. Address your envelope like this: "INMATE MAIL" on top, then the person's first and last name (as booked), their SWIS number, and the Inverness address: 11540 NE Inverness Dr., Portland OR 97220. Don't skip the return address. Incoming mail is opened and inspected, and anything without a return address won't be delivered. Include it so your letter gets through - or comes back to you if there's a problem.
Never put money - or anything that works like money - inside inmate mail. MCSO treats "currency equivalents" the same as cash: bus passes, phone cards, gift cards. Government checks are the one exception; those are handled differently.
Heads up: MCSO will not accept cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders sent through the mail for deposit. If they show up in a letter, the mail is refused as unacceptable and the entire letter is returned to the sender.
Include something MCSO doesn't allow? The whole envelope - prohibited item and everything else - gets mailed back to you. That's why the return address matters. Money works the same way. Cash, checks, cashier's checks, money orders meant for an inmate's account? MCSO refuses the entire letter and returns it to sender.
Warning: If drugs or other illegal items are found in the envelope, they will be seized as evidence. Introducing contraband into a correctional facility is a felony, and MCSO may investigate for prosecution.
Books, magazines, calendars, and notebooks can be allowed - but how you send them matters. MCSO requires these items to come directly from the publisher or an approved commercial retailer. Send them yourself from home, and they typically won't be accepted.
- ✓ Must be no larger than 9" x 13" and no more than 3" thick
- ✓ Must not be hardback or leather bound
- ✓ Must not have a spiral binding
- ✓ Up to four publications/periodicals/calendars/notebooks per delivery
- ✓ Adults in custody may possess up to four of these items at a time
Publications that don't come from a publisher or approved retailer - or that break size and binding rules - get refused and sent back. Keep these limits in mind when placing an order. It'll save you weeks of delays.
- Address the envelope to Inverness and add a return address - Use “INMATE MAIL,” the booked name, the SWIS #, and 11540 NE Inverness Dr., Portland OR 97220. No return address means no delivery.
- Don’t mail cash or common deposit forms - Skip cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders in letters; MCSO refuses them and returns the whole envelope.
- Order books and magazines the approved way - Have publications, periodicals, calendars, and notebooks sent directly from the publisher or an approved commercial retailer.
If your mail gets rejected, you'll usually see it again - MCSO typically returns the whole envelope to sender. The exception is contraband. Illegal items like drugs are seized as evidence, and MCSO can investigate for prosecution. Not sure why something came back or didn't arrive? Contact the jail for clarification before resending anything.
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