Sending Books and Magazines to Vista Detention Facility: What’s Actually Allowed

Vista Detention Facility only accepts magazines, periodicals, and new softcover books when they're shipped directly from publishers or bookstores via USPS. Packages that clearly came from a retailer or publisher stand the best chance of clearing mail processing.

Each inmate can have up to six magazines and/or new softcover books at a time. That's a combined total - six magazines, six softcover books, or any mix that adds up to six.

The facility tracks what comes in. Non-legal mail gets copied or scanned and logged with the inmate's name, booking number, date, time, and the deputy's identifier.

Formats Content Not Allowed

• ✓ Mail known to contain materials considered contraband will be refused and not accepted.

• ✓ Mail depicting nudity
• ✓ Mail containing obscenities
• ✓ Mail with suggestive images
• ✓ Mail with other offensive materials
• ✓ Mail known to contain materials considered contraband (will be refused)

Mail that contains contraband gets refused outright - it won't be accepted or passed along. Deputies in the Mail Processing Center screen all non-legal U.S. mail, packages, and electronic mail for contraband and security threats.

Excess Items Options

• ✓ Donate excess magazines and/or books to the jail library
• ✓ Have the excess items thrown away
• ✓ Have the excess items mailed out of the facility at the inmate’s expense

If your loved one needs to mail items out, here's how intake works: Certified and registered mail is accepted at the custody information office after staff verify the inmate is in custody. Non-legal mail gets copied or scanned and logged with the inmate's name, booking number, and timestamp - which helps keep processing consistent.