How Mail Works at Newaygo County Jail: Postcards, Legal Mail, and What to Do If Mail Is Returned

At Newaygo County Jail, nearly all incoming mail must be a prepaid 4 inch by 6 inch postcard. The only exception is "privileged" mail - legal, attorney, or court correspondence. Send a regular letter in an envelope, a greeting card, or anything other than a prepaid 4x6 postcard, and it will likely be rejected instead of reaching the person you're writing to.

Even if you follow the postcard rule, the jail can block mail or publications that could affect safety, security, or facility operations. When something is considered undeliverable, it may be returned to you or placed in the inmate's property rather than handed to them directly. Content that can get flagged includes anything about making weapons, explosives, incendiary devices, poisons, or drugs - or material that advocates disorder, riots, or disruption. The policy also prohibits sexually explicit drawings or images, gang-related drawings or symbols, and anything with stickers, glitter, or perfume. Drawings in crayon, gel pen, or glue can be refused; stick with pencil or regular pen ink to be safe.

Legal mail gets handled differently, but it has to be clearly identified to receive that treatment. Newaygo County Jail considers mail "legal (attorney/court) mail" when it includes the law firm or legal services provider name and address, the attorney's name, a valid P number, and is marked as confidential legal mail. Miss any of those details, and the jail may not treat it as privileged - which changes how it's processed.

Newaygo County Jail does not allow inmate-to-inmate correspondence between people housed in the facility. If you're thinking about forwarding a message from one incarcerated person to another - or sending something meant to be passed along - expect it to be blocked.

1. Confirm it was returned - if your mail is stamped “Return to Sender,” that’s the jail’s notice that it wasn’t delivered.
2. Write an appeal to the Lieutenant - the sender (addresser) can appeal the decision, but it must be in writing.
3. Include the required details - add the recipient’s information and your own contact information so the jail can identify what you’re appealing and how to reach you.
4. Send the appeal and wait for review - the Lieutenant reviews mail-appeal requests and makes a decision based on the jail’s mail rules.

According to jail policy, inmate mail - both incoming and outgoing - won't be held for more than 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. That means mail arriving right before or during a weekend or holiday can take longer to move through the system, even when it's otherwise acceptable.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Use a prepaid 4 inch by 6 inch postcard for all non-privileged (non-legal) incoming mail.
• ✓ Don’t send photographs as postcards.
• ✓ Avoid anything that could be seen as affecting safety, security, or good order (including content about making weapons/drugs/explosives or promoting disruption).
• ✓ Keep it clean and simple: no stickers, glitter, perfume, or drawings made with crayon, gel pen, glue, or similar substances.
• ✓ If you’re sending legal mail, make sure it’s properly identified with the law firm/legal services provider name and address, the attorney name, a valid P number, and clearly marked as confidential legal mail.
• ✓ If your mail is returned, appeal in writing to the Lieutenant and include the recipient’s information plus your own contact information.

The biggest rule to remember: Newaygo County Jail wants personal mail on a prepaid 4x6 postcard - not a letter in an envelope, and not a photo postcard. Sending attorney or court mail? Label it correctly so it's treated as legal mail. If something gets rejected, the jail can return it to you or place it in the inmate's property. And since mail isn't supposed to be held longer than 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays), timing around those days can shift delivery.