How to Mail Someone at Newaygo County Jail — postcards, restricted items, legal mail, and appeals
Mail rules at jails can be strict—one small detail can mean the difference between
For regular personal mail at Newaygo County Jail (anything that isn’t privileged/legal mail), you must send it as a prepaid 4 inch by 6 inch postcard. If you send a letter in an envelope or anything that isn’t a prepaid 4×6 postcard, it won’t meet the jail’s standard for incoming non-privileged mail and may be rejected.
Warning: Photographs used as postcards are prohibited, so don’t try to mail a photo postcard as a workaround.
One more quick “don’t waste a stamp” rule: personal checks are not accepted. If you were planning to tuck a check into mail, don’t - senders should use other approved ways to handle money needs instead of personal checks through the mail.
Mail is inspected for contraband before it reaches an inmate. Staff are not supposed to read incoming mail unless there’s a valid reason to suspect a security or criminal violation, but anything in mail or a publication that could potentially affect the safety, security, or good order of the jail won’t be delivered. When that happens, it will be returned to the sender or placed in the inmate’s property.
The jail also sets an expectation for timing: no inmate mail - incoming or outgoing - will be held for more than 24 hours, excluding weekends or holidays. If you mail something right before a weekend or holiday, build in extra time for that exception.
Not allowed: Sexually explicit drawings or images are prohibited from being delivered to inmates.
Mail will be rejected if it includes information about manufacturing weapons, explosives, incendiary devices, poisons, or drugs. The same goes for mail that advocates disorder, riots, or institutional disruption - anything that threatens the jail’s safety, security, or order is treated as restricted and won’t be delivered.
- ✓ Picture postcards
- ✓ Stickers
- ✓ Glitter
- ✓ Perfume
- ✓ Drawings written in crayon, gel pen, glue, or other similar substance
If you’re sending legal/privileged mail, it has to be clearly identified so it’s treated as legal mail. Newaygo County Jail considers mail to be legal mail when it’s properly identified with the law firm or legal services provider name and address, includes the attorney name and a valid P number, and is designated as confidential legal mail. If those details are missing, it may be handled like regular mail instead.
Confidentiality: Incoming legal mail will not be read by staff without a search warrant or probable cause that the communicative content poses an imminent threat to jail security.
If something you send is returned to sender (RTS), the inmate is not left guessing. Staff complete a “Mail Return to Sender Notice” form and deliver it to the inmate addressee so they know mail was rejected and sent back.
- Write an appeal to the Lieutenant - the sender (addresser) can appeal a returned-mail decision, but it must be in writing.
- Include the required details - your appeal must contain the recipient’s information and the sender’s contact information.
- Use an inmate request form (kite) - the inmate addressee can appeal by submitting an inmate request form (kite) to the jail lieutenant.
- Label it clearly - the appeal must state “Mail Appeal.”
- Explain why the decision was incorrect - include the reasons the person filing the appeal believes the rejection was wrong.
Even when mail is allowed in, there are limits on how much an inmate can keep. The jail restricts the quantity of mail an inmate may keep so it doesn’t create a safety or fire hazard. If command staff deem the amount excessive, extra mail may be stored in the inmate’s property locker or disposed of.
Practical Tips
- ✓ For regular personal mail, use a prepaid 4×6 postcard - other formats won’t meet the jail’s requirement for non-privileged mail.
- ✓ Don’t send photographs used as postcards; they’re prohibited.
- ✓ If you’re sending legal mail, make sure it’s identified with the law firm/legal provider name and address, the attorney name, a valid P number, and marked as confidential legal mail.
- ✓ Don’t mail personal checks; they aren’t accepted.
- ✓ Skip common “decorations” and add-ons that get rejected, like picture postcards, stickers, glitter, perfume, or drawings done in crayon/gel pen/glue.
- ✓ If your mail is returned, you (the sender) can appeal in writing to the Lieutenant - include the recipient’s info and your contact information.
- ✓ The inmate can also appeal using a kite to the jail lieutenant; it must say “Mail Appeal” and explain why the rejection was incorrect.
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