If Your Letter Is Returned from the Scanning Vendor (including if you enclosed money)

All personal mail goes through a scanning vendor, who checks it against NDCS mail policy. If something doesn't comply, the vendor sends it back to you (the sender). The person you were writing to won't get any notice from the vendor that the letter was returned. You may be the only one who knows it didn't make it through.

If your personal correspondence doesn't meet NDCS policy, the scanning vendor returns it to you rather than delivering it. The intended recipient won't get a notice from the vendor, so you'll typically find out only when the mail shows back up in your mailbox. One common reason for returns: sending personal correspondence to the facility address instead of the designated vendor address. If that happens, the facility sends it back to you with a mailroom notice ("Notice From the Mail Room") explaining the reason.

If personal correspondence received by the scanning vendor contains illegal or suspicious drugs, the process is very different from a standard noncompliant return. The vendor notifies local police so the substance can be taken into possession, and NDCS is also notified.

Sometimes the vendor processes a piece of personal correspondence, but NDCS later decides it violates policy. When that happens, the scanned copy is not delivered to the incarcerated individual. The facility mailroom gives the incarcerated person a written notice ("Notice From the Mail Room"), but you as the sender won't be notified.

If you enclosed funds with personal correspondence and the scanning vendor receives them, those funds get returned to you. The letter itself may or may not come back along with the money. Don't assume every enclosure will arrive in the same envelope.

• ✓ Watch your mail for a return. The incarcerated person is not notified by the vendor when something is sent back.
• ✓ If the envelope includes a mailroom notice, read it carefully. When personal correspondence is sent to the facility address instead of the vendor address, the reason for return should be indicated.
• ✓ If you need to resend your letter, make sure you use the designated vendor address and follow NDCS personal correspondence rules so it does not get returned again.
• ✓ If you enclosed money, expect the funds to be returned to you by the vendor. The letter may or may not come back, so plan on sending funds separately using the correct method rather than putting cash or a money order in a personal letter.