Legal Mail vs. Personal Mail at Yellowstone County: What to Send to the Facility — and How
At Yellowstone County,
At Yellowstone County, legal mail is only recognized when it is sent directly from the incarcerated person’s attorney or from the court. That definition matters, because mail does not become “legal mail” just because someone writes “legal” on the envelope. Third-party mail or personal mail marked “legal” will not be treated as legal mail.
Note: Legal mail (and medical mail) is not accepted through the third-party personal-mail (scanned) process. If you route it through that process, it will not be handled as legal mail.
How to Prepare Legal Mail
- ✓ Label or stamp the envelope: “LEGAL MAIL.”
Address legal mail to the inmate’s name. This helps staff match the envelope to the right person and get it to the correct recipient without unnecessary hold-ups.
- ✓ Include a return address that shows the sending entity’s name (attorney, law firm, court, etc.).
- ✓ Include a phone number the facility can use for verification.
Send legal mail directly to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility at 3165 King Ave E, Billings, MT 59101. Do not send legal mail through the third-party personal-mail (scanned) process, since the facility does not accept legal mail that way.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✓ Sending legal mail through the third-party personal-mail (scanned) process (legal mail is not accepted that way).
- ✓ Having a friend or family member send something and writing “legal” on it (third-party or personal mail marked legal is not treated as legal mail).
- ✓ Forgetting to label or stamp the envelope “LEGAL MAIL.”
- ✓ Leaving off a verifiable return address and phone number for the attorney, law firm, court, or other sending entity.
Tip: If you do two things, do these: clearly mark “LEGAL MAIL” and include a return address with the sender’s name plus a phone number for verification.
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