How to Avoid Having Your Letter Rejected by NDCS Scanning (ink, paper, photos & cards)
NDCS now routes personal mail through a scanning vendor. That means little details like ink color, paper type, and photo content matter more than they used to. Follow the rules below to keep your letter readable and avoid a rejection.
As of November 12, 2024, all incoming personal correspondence to NDCS facilities gets scanned by a contracted vendor. Your envelope needs to reflect this: address the mail to the vendor's Phoenix, Maryland address, and include the incarcerated individual's committed name (or legally changed name) along with their institutional number.
The vendor scans everything you send and combines it all into a single PDF, which gets delivered through the tablet system. That's why readability and content rules apply to every page, not just the parts you think "count."
Tip: NDCS lists a few common reasons scanned mail ends up unreadable: ink that is not black or blue, ink that is too light to scan well, and paper with color, watermarks, or background printing. If it scans poorly, it can be rejected.
- Write in black or blue ink. NDCS calls out other ink colors as a common reason scanned mail is not readable.
- Avoid faint or “light” ink. If your pen writes lightly, the scan may come through too washed out to read.
- Use plain paper with no design. Skip colored sheets, watermarked paper, and anything with background printing so the scanner captures your words clearly.
Photos and greeting cards can be rejected based on what they show, even if the image seems harmless to you. NDCS prohibits nudity or partial nudity (including infants and newborns), and this extends to drawings or cartoons of nudity. Also prohibited: images showing sexual gestures, drug use or drug paraphernalia, violent or illegal activity, or individuals with large amounts of money. Don't send images pulled from social media, either. That includes the text, filters, emojis, or borders that come with them. Images of incarcerated individuals are also off-limits.
- ✓ Remove any photo or card with nudity or partial nudity (including infants/newborns), including drawings/cartoons
- ✓ Remove anything showing sexual gestures
- ✓ Remove anything showing drug use or drug paraphernalia
- ✓ Remove anything depicting violent or illegal activity
- ✓ Remove pictures showing individuals with large amounts of money
- ✓ Do not include images of incarcerated individuals
- ✓ Do not include images taken from social media (including any text, filters, emojis, or borders)
Since all pages get scanned into a single PDF, one problem page can spoil the whole delivery. If any part of what you mail violates NDCS policy or the vendor's policy, the entire PDF gets rejected. When you're unsure about a page (maybe it's hard to read, or a photo might push the line), the safest move is to leave it out before you mail anything.
5
- ✓ Address personal correspondence to the vendor’s Phoenix, MD address, and include the incarcerated individual’s committed (or legally changed) name plus institutional number
- ✓ Write using only black or blue ink
- ✓ Avoid ink that is very light
- ✓ Use plain paper only (no colored paper, watermarks, or background printing)
- ✓ Do not send photos/cards with nudity or partial nudity (including infants/newborns), including drawings/cartoons
- ✓ Do not send photos/cards showing sexual gestures, drug use or drug paraphernalia, violent or illegal activity, or individuals with large amounts of money
- ✓ Do not send images taken from social media (including any text, filters, emojis, or borders)
- ✓ Do not send images of incarcerated individuals
Find an Inmate at Omaha Correctional Center, NE
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
