How to Contact an Inmate at Van Zandt County Detention Center, TX (TX)

As of October 1, 2021, all non-legal and non-commercial inmate mail must go through JailATM. You can either send it electronically through JailATM or mail it to the JailATM processing address for Van Zandt County Justice Center, where it gets scanned and forwarded digitally.

Here's how it works: your letter is scanned at a central processing location, then delivered electronically through the facility's messaging system. Your loved one reads it on the inmate kiosk. The original paper is not what they receive, so plan accordingly.

For faster communication, the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office also offers an inmate messaging system through NCIC. You can send messages, pictures, and documents. There is a cost per message, so it helps to plan what you want to say before you start.

1. Choose your method (JailATM mail or NCIC messaging). For non-legal and non-commercial mail, use JailATM electronic sending or mail it to the JailATM processing address for Van Zandt County Justice Center.
2. Write with scanning in mind. Mail that goes through processing is scanned at a central location and delivered electronically through the facility messaging system, then viewed by the inmate on the kiosk.
3. Send messages, photos, or documents through NCIC. Set up your NCIC account to send messages, pictures, and documents through the inmate messaging system.

• ✓ Message cost: $0.25 each
• ✓ Picture/document message cost: $0.35 per picture

Before sending anything, confirm what counts as "non-legal" and "non-commercial" mail at this facility and whether any exceptions apply. The JailATM mail-processing rule took effect October 1, 2021, so it's also worth checking whether anything has changed since then.

Ask how quickly scanned mail typically shows up after it's received for processing, and how your loved one accesses it (electronically, on the inmate kiosk). If you plan to use the NCIC messaging system, confirm any account setup steps on your end and whether your loved one has consistent access to view incoming messages.

• ✓ Confirm the current per-message cost ($0.25) and the per-picture cost for picture/document messages ($0.35 per picture)
• ✓ Ask if there are limits on message length, number of pictures, or how many items can be received
• ✓ Check whether there are any restrictions on documents or image types that can be delivered through the system

Sending something sentimental, like a handwritten letter, a kid's drawing, or a photo? Verify the destruction policy first. Mail processed through the scanning vendor is destroyed after scanning. Hold onto originals and send copies if you want to preserve the keepsake.