Mail, photos, and books: what you can send and how it is inspected

Mail rules can be very specific, and the facility can reject mail that does not meet them. One North Dakota county correctional center inspects incoming mail and enclosures for contraband. All incoming mail must have a return address, and letters with lipstick, perfume, or other items besides postage and addresses will not be accepted. Outgoing mail is also inspected, and envelopes must have a proper return address with the addressee clearly written. No other writing is allowed on the envelope. A juvenile detention center in North Dakota also inspects outgoing and incoming mail, and juvenile mail is received and mailed daily excluding weekends and holidays.

• ✓ Include a return address on the outside of the envelope
• ✓ Keep the envelope clean and fully addressed, with no extra writing
• ✓ Do not add lipstick, perfume, or other substances to the letter or paper
• ✓ Expect staff to inspect incoming mail and enclosures for contraband

Rules for photos, books, and printed materials differ by facility. One county detention center posts "No Photographs" and "No Cell Phones," and requires that mail be mailed to the facility (no messages left over the counter). For reading materials, one county facility allows books, magazines, newspapers, and periodicals if sent from the publisher and approved by administration. Hard cover books are specifically prohibited. Another county detention center limits books to soft-cover self-help, educational, and religious materials. For care packages, ND DOCR lists Access Securepak as an approved vendor for online ordering with secure payment.