How to Send Mail to Someone at Tabor Correctional Institution (TextBehind rules)

Regular (non-legal) mail to someone at Tabor Correctional Institution doesn't go straight to the prison mailroom. North Carolina's prison system uses TextBehind to screen and scan non-legal mail, then deliver it electronically to the person's tablet. That's why the addressing rules are so strict - your envelope routes to TextBehind first, not Tabor.

Address your letter or card to TextBehind's Maryland address exactly as the state requires. Put the incarcerated person's name and OPUS number on the first line, then write the full facility name as "Tabor Correctional Institution" - don't abbreviate. The mailing address: P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131. Miss a piece, abbreviate the prison name, or send it somewhere else? TextBehind will return it.

• ✓ Offender’s full name and OPUS number
• ✓ Full facility name written out (no abbreviations): Tabor Correctional Institution
• ✓ P.O. Box 247
• ✓ Phoenix, MD 21131

TextBehind checks the return address too. You need your full first name and full last name - no initials. Even using just an initial for your first name will get your mail returned instead of processed.

Want faster turnaround? Send mail through the TextBehind app instead of mailing paper. The app lets you type a letter and upload photos to send electronically. Submit through the app, and TextBehind can process it within one business day.

1. Use the TextBehind app - write your message and upload any photos you want to send.
2. Submit it through the app - app-submitted items can be processed within one business day.
3. Wait for delivery to the tablet - once processed, it’s handled as electronic delivery.

TextBehind handles more than handwritten letters. They scan letters, greeting cards, photos, and artwork into digital images. Those scans get forwarded to the prison, and the person at Tabor receives the content on their tablet.

• ✓ Letters
• ✓ Greeting cards
• ✓ Photos
• ✓ Artwork

Books, magazines, and other publications work differently. Don't mail them through TextBehind - they'll be returned. Publications must be ordered from the publisher or an online retailer and shipped to the prison's street address, not the TextBehind P.O. Box.

Religious correspondence courses, sacred texts, and Bible study materials have extra rules. These items require pre-approval. Once approved, they must go directly to the correctional facility (not through TextBehind) and come from the vendor, school, or religious institution - not from an individual.

• ✓ Publications (books/magazines) - order from the publisher or online retailer; ship to the prison’s street address (do not send through TextBehind).
• ✓ Religious course materials/sacred texts/Bible study - confirm pre-approval first; if approved, the vendor/school/religious institution must mail it directly to the facility (not through TextBehind).

Mail getting returned? The reason is usually simple: the envelope wasn't addressed in the exact TextBehind format, or your return address used initials instead of your full first and last name. Because non-legal mail for North Carolina prisons routes through TextBehind for screening and scanning, these vendor rules can stop delivery before anything ever reaches Tabor.

1. Fix the mailing address format - use the offender’s name and OPUS number, write out “Tabor Correctional Institution” (no abbreviations), and address it to P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131.
2. Correct your return address - include your full first and full last name; don’t use initials.
3. Consider sending through the TextBehind app - app submissions can be processed within one business day and avoid common envelope-format mistakes.