Mailing Letters to Sampson Correctional: How to Address Mail That Goes Through TextBehind
Sending a letter, card, or photos to someone at Sampson Correctional? Here's the key thing: non-legal mail gets routed through TextBehind first. Get the address right, and the rest is easy.
At NCDAC facilities, most non-legal mail doesn't go directly to the prison. TextBehind screens and scans it, then delivers a digital version to the recipient's tablet. You'll still mail a physical envelope, but your loved one will typically see a scanned copy rather than the original paper.
Address your letter to TextBehind's Maryland facility - not the prison in North Carolina. Use this exact format: the person's name and OPUS number on line one, then "Sampson Correctional Institution" spelled out in full (no abbreviations), followed by "P.O. Box 247" and "Phoenix, MD 21131." Miss any detail or shorten the name, and your mail comes back.
- ✓ Write the incarcerated person’s name and OPUS number on the first line.
- ✓ On the next line, write the full facility name: Sampson Correctional Institution (do not abbreviate).
- ✓ Use TextBehind’s address: P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131.
- ✓ Put your full return address on the envelope, including your full first name and full last name (no initials).
- ✓ If the mail isn’t addressed to the TextBehind format, or your return name doesn’t meet the full-name requirement, it will be returned to you.
Tip: If you send your message through TextBehind’s app instead of mailing paper, it can be processed within one business day.
When TextBehind receives your mail via USPS, they scan everything - letters, greeting cards, photos, artwork. Those digital files get forwarded for delivery, and the incarcerated person views them on a tablet. This scanning is part of the screening process, so expect your mail to be converted to digital before it reaches your loved one.
Want your original paper letter back? You have 30 days to request it. Email info@textbehind.com and ask for the originals - there's a $2.50 fee per letter to cover return postage. After 30 days, everything gets shredded. Don't mail irreplaceable documents or one-of-a-kind photos expecting them to be saved.
Don't send packages to TextBehind - they'll be returned to you without being processed.
- Order the book or magazine from a publisher or online retailer - individuals aren’t supposed to send publications directly.
- Ship it to the prison’s street address (not TextBehind) - publications should not go to the P.O. Box in Maryland because they’ll be returned.
- Use a clear shipping label format - for example:
- Offender Name #OPUS Number
- Sampson Correctional Institution
- (Prison street address)
Reminder: If your mail doesn’t follow the required TextBehind addressing format, it will be returned to the sender.
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