Why Your Loved One Reads Your Letters on a Tablet (And What They Can Access)

If your loved one is at Sampson County Detention Center and they tell you they “got your letter on the tablet,” that’s usually because the jail uses a mail-scanning service called InteleSCAN. Instead of handing people the original paper you mailed, approved non-legal mail is processed and delivered digitally, and your loved one views it on a secure inmate device called an InteleTABLET.

Processing

• ✓ Put the Facility Name, the inmate’s name, the inmate’s ID number, and the Facility ID on the envelope or it will not be scanned.
• ✓ Use the correct Facility ID for Sampson County Detention Center: 5176.
• ✓ Keep it to 10 pages or less per envelope.
• ✓ Use pages no larger than 8.5" x 11".
• ✓ Don’t send magazines or books to the mail processing center.

Here's what happens behind the scenes: non-legal mail that meets the facility's requirements gets scanned and uploaded to the inmate tablet system. That's why your loved one reads your letters on a screen instead of holding the paper. This part surprises a lot of families: once mail is scanned, the physical copy is destroyed. Your handwritten letter, those photos you sent - they'll see digital versions on the tablet, not the originals.

The tablet isn't just for reading scanned letters. Your loved one can also access video visits and educational programming like the Pathway to Achieve content through the same device. It becomes the main hub for communication and approved activities while they're housed there.

Sender Guidance

• ✓ Address the envelope with the Facility Name, inmate name, inmate ID number, and Facility ID 5176.
• ✓ Keep each envelope to 10 pages or less.
• ✓ Use standard paper no larger than 8.5" x 11".
• ✓ Stick to allowed items like written or typed pages, photos, drawings, and greeting cards.
• ✓ If you include photos, avoid Polaroids.

• ✓ Don’t include photos of nude or partially clothed people.
• ✓ Don’t mail cash, personal checks, or money orders to the mail processing center.
• ✓ Don’t send anything with glitter, glue, tape, 3D elements, or electronic components (like lights, music, or animation).
• ✓ Don’t send materials that contain, depict, or relate to sexually explicit activity, gang activity, illegal activity, violence, or drug or alcohol use.
• ✓ Don’t send magazines or books to the mail processing center.