Sending Mail to Northwestern Detention Center: Complete Formatting Checklist
Address your letter to Northwestern Detention Center using the incarcerated person’s full name, followed by the facility address: Inmate Full Name 141 Fort Collier Road Winchester, Virginia 22603
Note: Inmates are allowed to send and receive an unlimited amount of mail.
Your return address goes in the upper-left corner of the envelope. Include your first and last name plus your complete mailing address - missing or incomplete info can delay delivery or get your letter sent back.
Heads up: The outside of the envelope can’t have any extra pictures, images, or words.
Size Weight Content
- ✓ Keep it light: your mail can’t weigh over 2 ounces.
- ✓ Keep it standard size: nothing larger than A4 (8½ x 14) paper is accepted.
- ✓ Skip oversized items: oversized greeting cards and oversized drawings will be rejected.
Photos are allowed, but plan for them to be handled like other personal mail: incoming mail is inspected for contraband, then personal mail is scanned and uploaded to the inmate tablet system after it’s opened. Photographs are also scanned to the tablet. Make sure any photos you send are clean content-wise. Images can’t include vulgar, obscene, or gang-related material.
Avoid returns: Mail with perfume, lipstick, or excessive glitter won’t be scanned and will be returned. Forwarded mail of any kind also isn’t accepted and will be returned to sender.
If you’re sending money by mail, Northwestern Detention Center accepts USPS money orders as long as they’re filled out correctly. The money order must include your full first and last name, your complete address, and the inmate’s full name. Once it’s received, the money order is deposited into the inmate’s commissary account.
Do not mail these: Blank money orders, cash, and personal checks will be returned to sender.
Books and magazines are only accepted when they’re mailed directly from an approved distributor or the publisher. If an item is purchased through a marketplace or third-party vendor, it won’t be accepted and will be returned to sender. Approved book distributors listed by the facility include Amazon, SureShot Books, and Thriftbooks - just make sure your order ships directly from the approved source, not a third-party seller.
Got mail rejected? You have two options. The inmate can file a grievance through the facility's procedure. Or you can appeal directly by mailing a written explanation plus a copy of the rejection notice (DC138 form) to the Captain of Security.
Questions about mail rules or a specific rejection? Call the Jail Information Line at 540-535-3800.
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