Mail Regulations
Inmates can receive mail Monday – Friday except on holidays. All mail is opened before being given to the inmate.
Photographs
A maximum of 6 photographs can be sent in a letter but an inmate is only allowed to have a total of 6 photographs in his possession.
No Polaroid pictures or pictures with cardboard backs are allowed.
No pictures larger than 5X7 are allowed.
Books, Magazines and Newspapers
Inmates can receive some books, magazines and newspapers but they must be sent directly from the publisher to the jail. No pornographic material is allowed.
Money Sent in Letters
Inmates are not allowed to have money or other types of funds in their possession. All purchases are made through their commissary.
Contraband
Pretty much everything else is not allowed and will be considered contraband if included in a letter.
If a letter has contraband everything gets returned to the sender except for any illegal items.
Inmate Released or Transferred
Mail will be returned to the sender if it is received after an inmate has been released or transferred.
Mail Room: 210-335-6240
Hey i was just wondering i kissed the envelope and left my lip print in lipstick can i still send the letter in that envelope?
Meagan – Yes.
Are we able to use colors and color pencils in out letters?..
Alexis – Yes.
Can I send coloring book pictures, uncolored and coloured (with coloring pencils)? And what about paintings I have done (in acrylic and watercolor)?
Jake – The uncolored pictures would not be a problem. The colored ones using colored pencils would probably get through just fine. Painted artwork has too high of an ability to have drugs mixed in and would more than likely be rejected.
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Can I send multipage letter in 8X12 envelope?
Wayne – Yes.
What kind of food can be send?
Alexis – You can’t send food.
Can I send scented letters
Monika – Yes.
I sent my friend a greeting card and wrote a letter to go inside and he never received it. I sent it sat. And it is now Thursday. Was that okay that u sent the letter inside the card?
Nicole – It should have been okay. Give it a little more time.
I need help sending books to my son. Can someone please tell me how to do that. I know they have to be from the publisher, but where do i look. For example,he wants James Patterson books and magazines,where do i look for those or what website do i order them from? Please HELP
Rachel – We have heard several people say they have had books sent from Amazon and the books were delivered to the inmate. We suggest you try that. Ordering from a publisher is not as easy as it used to be.
Can I send a letter in colored paper?
?
Britney – Yes.
I just ordered two books for my son directly from Amazon.com. They are paperback books. One is of drawings and the other is Chicken Soup for the Soul. The drawings are of animals and such, nothing explicit. I had it addressed to Bexar County Jail and put my son’s name and SID number. Did I follow all regulations? I want to make sure the books get to him. Is there a limit incase I want to send more in the future?
Jennifer – We have not heard of a limit but I doubt they let him keep too many in his cell. We don’t recommend you go overboard.
The limit at bexas is no more than 3 books a week.
Peggy – Thank you for sharing this information.
I want to send an inmate a book from amazon. What is the correctly formatted address?
Scott – In our category Sending & Receiving Mail there is a link titled Addressing a Letter. You can fill it out the same way. If there isn’t enough room you can skip the location line but make sure you put the sid # after the name otherwise it won’t get to the recipient.
What is the rules or limit on what types of books we can have sent? I want to send the new book about beating addiction by a motley crue member but it’s pretty graphic . there are no pictures though.
Christina – The rules are that books are supposed to come straight from the publisher and that they cannot have inappropriate material in them. We have had plenty of people say they have had books sent from Amazon and that the books have gotten to the inmates. We suspect that if there are not pictures the book will go through. Give it a try then let us know how it went so we can pass it on to the rest of our readers. Thanks
Book I want to send is St. Martins publisher. I understand must be purchased thru publisher. Redirects to amazon.com. Question is if a novel was sent from amazon.com will the inmate receive or will book be rejected. Based on fact not mailed from original publisher.
Lynyrd – We have received several comments from our readers that say the jail is accepting books from Amazon.
Can I order a book from barnes and nobles online and have it sent to an inmate in the bexar county jail?
Dawn – Many of our readers have said that they have done this and the inmate received the item even though that’s not technically the policy. We recommend you try.
How many pages in a letter can I send and could I send extra paper so the inmate can write back and can my daughter send a picture in crayon???
Harley – There is no limit on the length of the letter. You could probably get away with sending blank pages but I doubt they would let you send an envelope since it has glue on it. Security. They have no idea if someone has added something to the glue. And yes you can send a picture by your daughter.
Can i send stickers in a card.
Jackie – No.
How long does it take for a inmates to recieve letters? I sent in mail today?by when will they get it? Thank u
Rebecca – It takes the normal time for the post office to deliver it then about another 24 hours being processed and delivered to the inmate.
I sent two letters to my boy friend last Tuesday and he said he has not received them yet
Barbara – A lot of things could have gone wrong or it could just be too soon. If he hasn’t received them in another couple of days make sure you have the right location and/or put his sid number on the envelope. If all of that is correct he needs to file a complaint. There are forms in the day rooms.
i sent my boyfriend two letters with 10 photo in each and just read the 6 photo max. dies this nean he wont recieve them?
Ori – Your letters will probably be sent back to you.
My husband is has long hair. I want to send him a package including all white undergarments may I include a White Doo rag? and for that matter can I send him white undergarments?
Kim – No outside clothing will be accepted.
can you send a typed letter and does bexar have the icare accepted to be delivered i tried but it does not have san Antonio bexar county as a facility but its on the mailing regulations page?
Madi – Yes you can send a typed letter. Bexar County jail uses Access Securepak now. You can see them at bexarcountypackages.com.
I sent 3 letters to my husband on Monday and he has just told me he only received one of them. One has nothing but pictures and another one has a I love you card and was signed and hasn’t gotten them but was able to receive the written letter I have sent him. Who do I ask why he hasn’t received them yet?
Jennifer – The mail room, 210-335-6240.
If an inmate is getting ready to pull chain in less than two weeks are they still allowed to send mail out to let people know where they’re going & when? Or are they put in a incoming mail only type of situation? How does that work?
Jacquelyn – They can send mail out.
My boyfriend mailed me a letter 2 weeks ago and i have not received it. When will i get my letter?
Sarah – You should have gotten the letter by now. Is it possible he put the wrong address on the letter? You can try calling the Mail Room at 210-335-6240.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
My boyfriend mailed me a letter about 3 weeks ago to my PO Box and i havent received it. Where is my letter?
Sarah – We are not the Bexar County jail. We are a private website that attempts to help the family and friends of inmates to deal with the complex processes at the jail. We recommend you call the Mail Room at 210-335-6240.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
I have attempted to send one book on three separate times and the books have been sent back. I used amazon. The first two attempts according to the mail room were returned because amazon used amazon logistics and not UPS, FED EX, or the US mail. The third time I used FED ex. The book is a classic without inappropriate content. What the heck is the problem?
Linda – The actual policy is that books are only accepted from the publisher. That’s really hard to do. We have had several readers say they were able to send books from Amazon and book stores such as Barnes & Nobles but there still doesn’t seem to be a uniform approach. It’s made it very difficult for our readers. When we hit problems like this we recommend that a complaint is made to the Sheriff’s administrative offices. You can contact them at 210-335-6010.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
Can inmates at Bexar county take pictures of themselves and send it to family? I know a lot of jails allow inmates to get there picture taken
Ariana – No. That’s not something that is allowed at the Bexar County Jail.
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Hello i just have a quick question?
Is it ok if i send a picture of myself but im wearing a spaghetti strap shirt.or is that not allowed.? Someone please help ☺.
Val – All the Inmate Handbook says is no nude/partially nude/sexually explicit photographs. That sounds like the spaghetti strap shirt is acceptable. Note: It also says children must be fully clothed just in case you wanted that information also.
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I want to thank you for yourr time and efforts to create this website. This has been a very helpful source of information for someone like myself, who has a family member in jail and needs help navigating the BCADC. Thank you!
Brandy – Thank you for your kind words. All of us who work on this website have had either family or friends that gone through the jail so we understand the frustration. It’s what brought us together to try to help. Unfortunately we can’t give as much time to this website as we would like since we have full time jobs and even side jobs but we do our best.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
can I send a letter and three pictures all at the same time in one envelope?
Drea – Yes.
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Can i send a new envelope with my letter to my girlfriend in jail?
Alex – No. But you can add money to her commissary account so she can purchase mailing supplies.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
Can I send my son a page with alot of cartoon characters the images are thumbnail size?
Cynthia – We don’t see anything in the regulations that say you can’t as long as they’re not stickers. We recommend you send it. Let us know if they reject it so we can pass the information on to others.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
Can you send a hand written erotic letter to an inmate?
Nicole – No. An inmate’s mail is private only under certain circumstances. Regular mail is reviewed. Besides, would you really want to do that to an inmate? Getting him excited while he’s incarcerated may not be one of the wisest things to do.
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I would lol
So we cant write a letter like that then? A sexual letter is not aloud?
Marie – No. It’s not allowed.
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If Inmate sends mail to courts and courts don’t receive it, and it’s sent back but inmate is not at county is now in isf. Would I be able to pick it up or where is it sent to?
Sarah – It probably gets held as property for someone to pick up. Call Banking at 210-335-6287 for more information.
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Can I send my husband a picture of me in a one piece bathing suit?
Laura – We suspect they will return it to you but you can always try.
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am i allowed to send a picture with my butt in it ?
Xitlali – That depends on the picture. If it is just a picture that shows the back of your body, with clothes on, then it is probably okay. If it’s something that can be considered lewd then it will be rejected.
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am i aloud to visit two different inmates the same day?
Xitlali – Yes as long as they haven’t already had all the visits they are allowed.
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Are we allowed to use themed postage to send out letters ? I purchased a book of 20 floral postage stamps from USPS today , will they be acceptable ? Are we allowed to use Stationary paper ? (Regular paper with printed lines & designs) ? Also Last Question , Are We Able / does Prisonconnect.us or phone donkey actually lower cost of inmate phone calls ?
Marboni – Yes on the questions about stamps and stationary. No on the phone calls. The Bexar County jail does not use those vendors.
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I Greatly Appreciate Your Assistance, This Website Has Definitely Made These Difficult Times A Whole Lot Easier. You Mentioned That An Inmate Is Only Allowed To Posses 6 Photos, If I’ve Sent 2 Letters With 6 Photos Each What Will Happen To The 6 Other Photos? Will He Get To View All 12 Photos & Keep The 6 He Wants? What Will Happen To The Rest? Also Last Question , My Inmate Is Currently Awaiting Treatment Bed For ISF & Has Been Waiting In County For A Little Over A Month , Who Could I Contact To Get An Estimated Wait Time Or When Will There Be Beds Available / Estimated Time My Inmate Will Catch Chain. Thank You Again.
Marboni – Usually what they will do is let the inmate pick the 6 pictures they want to keep and put the rest in their property. We don’t have much information on ISF but from everything we hear everyone has problems with getting in. They never release information on when inmates are going to catch chain for safety reasons.
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Can we send envelopes with postage stamps already attached to the envelope?
Rosa – No. But you can put money into his account so he can buy those items from the commissary.
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Can you send a letter with white out?. I have horrible hand writing so I tend to mess up. I have that roller whiteout. And I do tend to write Rated R stuff but I haven’t gotten a letter returned back.
Lisa Lisa – We would have thought that they wouldn’t let you send letters with white out but if you’ve been doing it without getting them returned then I wouldn’t worry about it.
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Can I type a letter print it and mail it?
Nikole – Yes.
We would like to ask our readers to help spread the word about our website. Please recommend us to people you know. Thank you.
can you send a postcard to an inmate?
Jon – Yes as long as it doesn’t violate any of the other rules. Nudity, profanity, glitter or any other prohibited thing.
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Can I send a birthday card.
Chris – Yes. Stay away from the glitter ones.
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Can i send Amazon food packages
Rotex – No.
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How can I send a book from amazon?
Bel – The same way you would send one to anyone else. There name and address but in this case you would need to add his SID number. Supposedly, they only accept books coming from the actual publishing company but several people have posted that they have sent books from Amazon and that they have made it to the inmate. We can’t guarantee anything.
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Can i send a card that is shiny not glittery. Just youn know that foil looking shiny type. It doesnt peel its just shiny.
Mrs. SanNicolas – Yes, you can.
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i sent i letter but i forgot to put Bexar County Adult Dentention center but i put everything else correct will my letter still be delivered ???
Abigail – Yes.
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I sent my husband a letter but forgot to but the SID … although I did put his inmate location. Will my letter be sent back?
Nicole – The sid is more important than the location. If he has an unusual name it might get to him but if he has a common name they will probably send it back. Hopefully his location will let them know who the letter is for even if they have moved him. But it’s a toss up as to whether they try to figure it out or just reject the letter.
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Just wanted to know if it would be ok if I sent my husband newspaper clippings like comic some news feeds instead or the newspaper and also I receive magazines here at home can I send them to here as well
Evelyn – We haven’t been asked about newspaper clippings before. You can probably get away with sending them as long as you don’t send too many at once. They aren’t going to accept the magazines.
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Can you send pictures in shorts? I want to send a picture but don’t want it getting taken.
Ariana – If they are normal shorts there probably will not be a problem. If they are hot pants or Daisy Dukes, they will probably be rejected. Anything that is not acceptable is returned to the sender.
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Sorry another question, do Bexar county do any in person behind the glass screen visits? I know someone who’s doing more than 30 years and I think it’s unfair I can’t see him in person rather than video chat. He is my boyfriend. Do they make any exceptions? Plus he’s not a regular inmate, he is of celeb status
Ariana – This website was set up to help the friends and families of people who are incarcerated in the Bexar County jail. Our Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Inmates are still people and they have family and/or friends who care about them. That being said, we have concerns about what you wrote. You say your boyfriend has a more than 30 year sentence and somehow seem to think that means he’s a celebrity and deserves special treatment. You don’t seem to realize the gravity of the situation. What it means is that he will more than likely have more restrictions. The jail is not concerned with what you feel is fair or not. They are handling prisoners in accordance with what they are allowed to do under the law. Video Visitation is an acceptable form of visitation. You will probably have better luck getting the kind of visit you want when he is transferred to prison.
My husband sent me 2 letter same time he sent out my daughter’s but I haven’t gotten mine, our visits have been suspended do to violation on his part can’t they hold mail to to me due to that suspension??
Susie – I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news but the government has done some serious damage to the post office for political reasons. The post office is having a hard time getting the mail out after what was done to them. If your husband sent the letters at the same time as the ones to your daughter and she got hers then you should get yours. If you didn’t, it could be an issue with what was done to the post office.
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Are we allowed to write double sided letters with ink on both sides of the page? I’ve been doing them single sided since i didn’t want to risk getting them sent back but it would save me paper if i could double sided.
Isis – Yes, you can write on both sides of the page. Just so you know, due to the coronavirus, the jail has changed the way they handle mail. All letters, except privileged correspondence (stuff from the inmate’s attorney) are scanned into a PDF and uploaded to the cloud. Inmates can go to the kiosks to read the letters. They are no longer getting the actual letter. I don’t know what they do with the original.
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