How to Send Legal (Privileged) Mail to Stewart County Detention Center

Stewart County Detention Center treats privileged correspondence as "LEGAL MAIL." For your letter to get that special handling, you need to clearly mark it as legal mail on the outside of the envelope so staff can identify it during processing.

Even properly marked legal mail gets examined. The facility checks all incoming and outgoing mail for criminal content and contraband. One more thing: mail can't be used as a workaround for inmate-to-inmate communication inside this facility, even if someone outside the jail drops it in the mail on their behalf.

Write "LEGAL MAIL" clearly on the outside of the envelope. If that wording is missing or hard to read, staff may process the letter as regular mail instead of privileged correspondence.

• ✓ Do not put lipstick, perfume, paint, glitter ink, lamination, glue, stickers, or tape on the envelope or on anything inside it.
• ✓ Do not include blank sheets of paper, stamps, or extra envelopes in the mailing (those items are available on commissary).

Address legal mail the same way you'd address any other letter to someone housed here. Include the person's full name and their Offender ID Number, then use this mailing address: Offender First and Last Name Offender ID Number Stewart County Detention Center (TN) P.O. Box 69 Dover, TN 37058

Stick to your correspondence and any necessary documents. Don't tuck in extras like blank paper, stamps, or envelopes. The detention center says those items are available through commissary.

Two separate things are happening here. Marking your envelope "LEGAL MAIL" signals that it's privileged correspondence. But Stewart County Detention Center still examines all incoming and outgoing mail for criminal content and contraband, so your envelope goes through the facility's routine safety checks regardless.

Avoid anything on the envelope (or inside it) that looks decorated or altered. The facility specifically calls out lipstick, perfume, paint, glitter ink, lamination, glue, stickers, and tape. These materials can be used to mask narcotics, so using them can slow things down or get your mail rejected entirely.

If your legal mail is returned, delayed, or handled like regular mail, contact Stewart County Detention Center using the facility's officially published contact information. Have the envelope details in front of you so you can describe exactly how it was addressed and labeled.

1. Document the outside of the envelope: Take a clear photo or make a copy showing “LEGAL MAIL” and the full address format you used.
2. Write down the key details: Note the Offender name, Offender ID Number, the date you mailed it, and any tracking information you have.
3. Call with specific information: When you reach the facility, provide the exact wording on the envelope and the address you used so staff can look into what happened.