What to Send (and What Not to Send): Letters, Photos & Greeting Cards for People at Omaha Correctional Center
Mail rules at Omaha Correctional Center can seem picky—but they matter. Your loved one receives personal mail as a scanned file on a tablet, not the original paper. Use the checklists below to make sure your letter, photos, or card actually gets through.
Your letter won't arrive as the paper you mailed. At Omaha Correctional Center, everything you send - letter, photos, cards - gets scanned and combined into a single PDF. That PDF is what your loved one sees on their tablet.
Heads up: If any part of your mailing violates NDCS or vendor rules, the entire PDF can be rejected and returned to you. Your loved one won't get a notice that anything was sent back.
Ink Paper Scanning Rules
- ✓ Write in black or blue ink so the scan stays readable.
- ✓ Avoid any ink that’s very light (faded pens, pale colors, light gel ink), since it may not scan well.
- ✓ Use plain paper without colored backgrounds.
- ✓ Skip paper with watermarks or heavy background prints (patterns, designs, “stationery” backgrounds), because they can make the scan hard to read.
Photos and greeting cards are allowed, but they have to meet both the scanning vendor's criteria and NDCS rules. If you're unsure about a photo or card, assume it will be reviewed under those content restrictions once scanned.
- ✓ No nudity or partial nudity in any form - this includes infants/newborns, and drawings/cartoons depicting nudity.
- ✓ No images that show drug use or drug paraphernalia.
- ✓ No images of incarcerated individuals.
- ✓ No social-media images, including anything with added text, filters, emojis, or borders.
- ✓ No hand signs in photos or on cards, including peace signs or middle fingers.
This part catches most families off guard: your letter, photos, and cards aren't treated as separate items. Everything gets scanned together into one PDF. One problem page - or one non-compliant photo - can get the entire PDF rejected, even if everything else was fine.
Plan for silence: If the vendor decides your mail doesn't comply, it gets returned to you. The person you're writing to won't be told anything was sent back.
Pre Mail Practical Checklist
- ✓ Assume everything you send as personal correspondence will be scanned and combined into a single PDF for tablet delivery.
- ✓ Keep every page and item compliant, because if any part violates NDCS or the vendor’s policy, the entire PDF can be rejected.
- ✓ Write using black or blue ink.
- ✓ Don’t use ink that’s too light to scan clearly.
- ✓ Use plain paper; avoid colored paper, watermarks, or heavy background print.
- ✓ Include photos, postcards, and greeting cards only if they meet the vendor’s criteria and NDCS provisions.
- ✓ Don’t send any photo/card with nudity or partial nudity (including infants/newborns).
- ✓ Don’t send any photo/card showing drug use or drug paraphernalia.
- ✓ Don’t send photos/cards that include images of incarcerated individuals.
- ✓ Don’t send social-media images (including text, filters, emojis, or borders).
- ✓ Don’t send photos/cards with hand signs (including peace signs or middle fingers).
Tip: Don't bundle questionable items with your letter or family photos. One violation can sink the whole PDF. Only mail things together when you're confident every page and image is clearly compliant.
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