Quick Checklist: What You Can't Send to an Inmate at Van Zandt County Jail

Van Zandt County's mail-scanning poster lists exactly what gets rejected. The short version: don't send anything sexual or pornographic, anything showing or explaining illegal activity, or anything that could help someone fight, break in, or escape. Content about weapons - using them or making them - is also off-limits. Same goes for drugs, biohazards (on the envelope or inside), and anything threatening or violent. If your mail falls into any of these categories, it probably won't be delivered.

Focus on what the content actually shows - not what you meant by it. A "regular photo" becomes a problem if it's racy or pornographic. A story or joke can cross the line if it describes illegal activity in a way that sounds instructional or celebratory. Anything that reads like guidance - self-defense moves, locksmithing tips, escape ideas, or step-by-step weapon instructions - fits the prohibited categories. Think beyond the page, too. The poster flags drugs or biohazards on the envelope or contents, plus threatening or violent content. If there's any chance someone could read your message as a threat, intimidation, or incitement to violence, choose different words or a different picture.

Sending photos? The fastest option is electronic picture attachments through JailATM.com - those arrive immediately. Physical mail works differently: non-legal, non-commercial mail goes through a scanning vendor, gets processed and delivered electronically, and then the original is destroyed. That matters if you're thinking about mailing a one-of-a-kind photo or a card you'd want back. You won't get it returned.

1. Send photos electronically for speed - Electronic correspondence, including picture attachments, can be sent immediately through JailATM.com.
2. If you mail non-legal/non-commercial items, address them to the vendor - Use this format: “JailATM.com – Van Zandt County Justice Center, INMATE ID: INMATE FULL NAME, 2830 S Hulen St, Box 809, Fort Worth, TX 76109,” and make sure the inmate’s full name and ID number are clearly printed on the outside.
3. Only mail what you’re okay with losing - After the vendor processes it, the original physical mail item is destroyed.

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• ✓ Screen your letter/photos against the prohibited categories (sexual content, illegal activity, self-defense/escape/locksmith “how-to,” weapons, drugs/biohazards, threats/violence).
• ✓ Put the inmate’s full name and ID number clearly on the outside of the envelope or postcard.
• ✓ For non-legal, non-commercial mail, use the JailATM vendor address format: JailATM.com – Van Zandt County Justice Center, INMATE ID: INMATE FULL NAME, 2830 S Hulen St, Box 809, Fort Worth, TX 76109.
• ✓ Send legal and commercial mail directly to the Van Zandt County Detention Center (not through JailATM).

If something you sent doesn't get through, compare it against the prohibited categories: racy or pornographic content, illegal activity, self-defense or escape instructions, weapons content, drugs or biohazards, and threatening or violent material. Once you figure out what likely triggered the rejection, contact the jail or the mail vendor for guidance on what to change before resending.