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
Books that are being mailed can’t be from Barnes & Nobles or Amazon? A friend of mine wants a book and I’ve only found it on those particular sites because the orignal publishing company no longer exists
Get – Sorry but all books, magazines, etc. are supposed to come from the publisher. It is a security issue for the jail.
i called the jail and asked about sening books but they said i have to get it from the publisher i tried amazon and barnes and noble but the jail said they dont recieve it from them so where do i go
Vicky – Amazon and Barnes & Noble are not publishers, they are book stores. The jail will only accept books straight from the publishers. Those are the places that Amazon and B&N get their books from. You need to do a Google search for publishers. You are going to be looking for companies like HarperCollins Publishers, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group USA, Knopf (which includes Doubleday) and so on. There are many more. If there is a specific book you want to send to the inmate do a search to see who published it then contact that company.
Can you spray perfume on letters? I know Guadalupe had a fit about it, but I heard it was ok in Bexar.
Julie – Yes you can spray perfume on a letter as long as you don’t go overboard with it. You can also put lipstick kisses on your letter (inside the envelope) again, as long as you don’t go overboard with it.
Is there a limit as too many pages of mail an inmate is allowed to receive in an envelope at a time. I know some places there is a limit.
Judy – There is a limit on photos but as far as we’ve been able to determine there is not one on pages of text.
Can u send your significant other implied nude photos? where everything is covered…
Tiffany – No.
My son who if incarcerated was told he can only sent a letter to a resident in Bexar County? Is there any validity to that? I think he is being misinformed, but the website is not clear. Thank you
Francis – There is no validity in what he was told. You son can definitely send letters to people outside of Bexar County.
Can the inmate receive a small article of jewelry, like a beaded bracelet?
Katie – No.
Could inmates still write letters if they have no money
Jessy – Yes. Human Services will give an inmate paper, pen, an envelope and a stamp if the inmate is indigent.
r stamps allow in the letter i mean can we send them stamps
Crystal – No.
Thank u would they always updated
How long does it take to recieve a icare package after you order it?
Rick – According to the iCare site: “The cutoff days and times for placing iCare orders is Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM.
Orders placed after 8:00 am will not be processed until the following day. Any order placed on a Friday after 8:00am will not be processed until the following Monday”.
Are ultrasound pictures allowed? Or are they considered to be polaroids
Brandi – It depends on what they are printed on. If it is on regular paper then it can be sent. The problem with polaroids is the multiple layers of paper. They don’t allow those because contraband can be hidden in them.
can divorce papers be mail to inmates
Dennise – Yes.
As far as magazines, can we sign them up for a magazine subscription if they are in there?
Megan – Yes.
I sent my husband a card with 6 pictures and he never got it. I called the mailroom and i was told it wasn’t marked down as returned to sender, meaning he should’ve gotten the card with pictures(appropiate pics too).but if my card and pictures weren’t sent back to me and he still hasn’t recieved them, then where are they. Help me understand what happen to the card and pictures because i do not want them floating around in there.
Vero – It is possible that they accidentally got to the wrong person. Are you sure you put the correct sid number on the envelope? But it is also possible they got lost in the regular mail.
Can inmates recive pictures in bras or bating suites??
Melanie – No.
Thanks Admin for your response to my card and pictures situation. Although my husband did recieve the card and pictures, finally, after 2 and half months and being in the possession of somebody else. The man knew that wasn’t his mail and the person in the pictures wasn’t his wife. Why didn’t he give it back? How can i go abouts to make sure this doesn’t happen again?
Vero – The mail getting delivered to the wrong person, even though you had all the right information on it, is rare. As to why the recipient didn’t give it back, well, he’s probably there for a reason. His lack of honesty may have a lot to do with it. Did you call the mail room to find out why this happened and what can be done to avoid it in the future? If not, you might want to try that. You can call them at 210-335-6867. They are a Monday – Friday, 8 – 5 department.
Can I cut out pictures of Tatoos from magazines and send them to my Son in his letter?
Becky – Yes but not of any gang or hate symbols.
Can I send like Birthday or Holiday Greeting Cards?
Becky – Yes but avoid the glittery stuff, musical cards… Stick with basic cards or they could get rejected.
Is there any way to verify an inmate’s SID number?
Frank – Call Central Records at 210-335-6201. They are a 24/7 office.
Can i tear out a magazine page and send it ?
Kimberley – Yes, but be careful what is said on the page or what pictures are on it. No gang stuff, naked or nearly naked people, no inappropriate material…
Who do we contact about the books & magazines policy. My son wants some tom clancy books, but Peguin Publishing will not accept the order. Seems silly I cannot order on line from Amazon or B&N. As I understand it, the problem was sending books from local B&Ns & adding drugs or other contraband to the shipping boxes.
John – This area definitely needs to be re-thought. It’s very difficult for individuals to get a book ordered straight from the publisher. Amazon can be a problem because of the independent stores that sell through them. It could be someone who knows the inmate and is attempting to circumvent the system. Our understanding is it’s pretty easy to say you are a book seller and get listed as a vendor. Whatever the situation, the Sheriff’s Office should see what they can do to make this process easier. The contact information we found was an Administration phone number of 210-335-6010. The Sheriff’s Office has a new sheriff. Maybe if you bring this to her attention she can look into what changes can be made.
Can i drop off a letter to the main jail. And will it get to him faster that way?
Michelle – Letters have to come through the mail.
Am I able to send a Typed up Letter to my Significant other?
John – Yes.
Hi. What Can an inmate take with him once he pulls chain? Oh and how many pictures if any are they allowed to take with them?? Thank you in advance for your response. 🙂
ILMK – They can take visitor address list, substance abuse literature, one religious text, birth certificate, social security card, driver’s license, wrist watch, wedding ring, legal documents, shower shoes, photos, cash, money orders, cashier’s checks or law enforcement agency checks. The TDC list did not specify how many photos the inmate can have. Bexar County says they can only have six so I imagine he can take all six.
This is my problem. Apparently I had a little strip of tape across the back of the letter to keep it together. All the other contents in the letter were fine.
They returned my letter and in addition to that I was sent a Bexar County Adult Detention Center Mail Disposition Notice.
My question is does the mail-room send a form inside the returned letter that is an itemized description of all the different violations that may occur and then check off the (itemized) violations for which pertain to the letter you sent.
I’m confused because the tape was on the outside and it was a very small strip to hold it together. DOES THAT NOT AUTOMATICALLY GET NOTICED AS SOMETHING THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW. THEREFORE STAMPING IT RETURNED TO SENDER BEFORE OPENING IT UP AND TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES TO OPEN UP THE LETTER AND INSERT THIS DOCUMENT AND SLAPPING THE BACK WITH A S??? LOAD OF TAPE.
Also does this form have printed on the bottom after the phone number, hours, and days opened (which are completely different from what you have stated.) It’s typed exactly as shown below
“REFERENCE” (TRANSACTION # #####) **BOLDED WORDS IN ()
The number FOR THE MAIL-ROOM IS LISTED AS #210-335-6240 hours 8:30 t0 4:00pm It’s form number 351-0669 revised Oct 2011……… Thank for you time in this matter. I look forward to hearing any helpful feedback.
Allison – We share your frustration. It doesn’t seem like anyone knows much about what goes on in the mail room and they don’t like answering their phone. Our thanks for the updated phone number. We have corrected our website. As far as the hours of operation we couldn’t find anyone who knows. We will continue looking into it.
FYI re sending books–books must only be paperback (no hardback) and inmates can only receive 3 books a week.
Cassie – Thank you. We always appreciate people sharing information with us.
Do you have any information on sending paperback books to the Bexar County Detention Center? I tried sending a couple of paperbacks through Barnes & Noble last week. I thought this would be ok since another Texas facility my brother was at used this vendor for books and magazines. When I found out he still hadn’t received the package i checked the online tracking information and found out that it was declined and sent back. I tried contacting the prison and was told that books need to come directly from the publisher however the publishers I keep finding only sale their books through places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Needless to say I’m a bit confused on how this whole process works. Any information you have would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Veronica – It is a major hassle. I wish our readers would send letters and emails to Sheriff Pamerleau asking that brand new books coming from bookstores be accepted. That aside, for now the Bexar County jail does insist that books come from the publisher. I am adding a link to an eHow article that tells people how to order from the publisher. Hope it helps.
How to Order Books From a Publisher
I want to send my boyfriend a care package. Where do I find the regulations for care packages including: Box size and mailing regulations, what kind of books, magazines and newspapers are allowed, and if other item can be sent like a calendar. I would like to get him a subscription to Vibe, send him a calendar and send him a new Eminem biography. Thank You.
Natalie – You can’t make up your own care package. It will not be accepted. You can order a care package through iCare. Items to read have to come from the publisher.
When I try to buy the book, ‘Eminem and The Detroit Rap Scene’, it redirects to me Amazon.com to purchase it from there. Is it okay if I buy the book from amazon.com and have it sent to him? Thank You.
Natalie – It will be rejected.
The publisher of the book you are iquiring about is… Amber Books, @ http://www.amberbooks.com. just thought I’d let you know… just in case maybe you were still looking for it.
Are inmates allowed to get greeting cards?
Grace – Yes. Stay away from glitter, musical ones or any thick type card. They will have to rip the thick ones open to make sure nothing was hidden inside.
How long before I receive my mail after it’s been returned?
Michelle – There’s no exact answer. Part of that depends on the U.S. Postal Service.
can we send jokes to inmates that have profanity?
Lisa – Yes.
Do inmates receive mail at the same time monday-friday or different times?
Marissa – It will be the same general time give or take a few minutes depending on the volume of mail.
I just want to say that it’s absolutely STUPID that I cannot send books through amazon to my son…it’s not coming from me…it’s being shipped DIRECTLY from amazon…NOT an amazon vendor, but from AMAZON~
why the hell should I have to pay $50 for a paperback book from the publisher when I can order it from amazon for $8.99.
This is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!
Kelli – We agree. We are encouraging everyone who complains about this policy to call the Sheriff’s Office to complain. You won’t get to the Sheriff but you can get as far as her administrative secretaries and they can pass on the problem to the Sheriff.
can an inmate receive letters from another inmate in another facility, like from a spouse in prison,and can inmates send letters to prisons.
Irene – Yes.
My son drew his step daddy a picture on construction paper can I send that to a inmate
Zelle – Yes.
Help! I know inmates are only allowed up to 6 photos. Now my question: If sending 1 greeting card that contains about 4 different pictures on it due to a collage, do they count per picture or would it be considered 1 photo due to the fact that I will only be sending one greeting card. Anyone??
Vanessa – If the pictures are four individual pictures they will be counted as four pictures. If you placed four pictures together, take a picture of them so that all four show up on one picture, then it counts as one picture.
How Long does it take for the inmate to receive photos?
Llly – No different than getting a letter. However long the post office takes to get it to the jail then a day or so of processing to get it to the inmate.
I’m pregnant can I send a pic of just my belly without a shirt covering it?
Anna – No.
Hello. I have sent my wife 2 letters with 6 pictures, both letters were in compliance with BCTX rules and regulations. The first letter I sent “Express” and the second standard. This was over 3 weeks ago. Te tracking number shows the one being received but she never received it. Can you please tell me what’s going on? Very frustrated.
Orlando – We have noticed a lot of complaints regarding the handling of mail. We very much hope that our readers will call to complain about that area. If Sheriff Pamerleau gets enough complaints, hopefully she will consider addressing the situation. As far as your immediate situation, are you sure you wrote down the correct sid number? Try calling the mail room at 210-335-6240.
Where can books be sent to inmates from? Amazon? Barnes and Noble?
Crystal – Books must be sent from a publisher. Do a web search using the term book publisher. Amazon and Barnes & Nobles are not publishers. You want companies like Random House.
Are typed letters allowed to be sent to inmates at the bexar county jail? Thanx.
Ms. Johnson – Yes.
I was going to send a Thanksgiving Card. Are cards allowed?
Mark – Yes but stay away from cards with glitter on them.
How can I find an inmates mailing address? Girlfriends aren’t allowed to visit?
Stacy – You can contact Central Records at 210-335-6201. They will be able to tell you what location the inmate is housed in. Girlfriends can visit but they must be on the inmate’s visitation list and it must be past the first five days of incarceration.
Can you send butt shots or pictures of panties…how strict are they about pictures with no nudity but sexy.
Sherita – No butt shots and very strict.
can i send my husband blank white enevolpes paper n stamps..inatead of buying a care package..i already own these items
Mistie – No. They present a security issue.
My friend just called and he didn’t get my letter yet? I mailed it on 7 of Feb. and it’s the 14th?? And same with his letter I haven’t received his yet??? why?
Smithj – Are you sure you put the correct sid number on the envelope? If you are sure you wrote the correct sid number then your next step would be to call the mail room at 210-335-6240 to see what the problem is.
Do the mail have to have a stamp on it?
Kiana – We weren’t sure what you meant at first, mail coming or going? But then it really didn’t matter, the mail will need a stamp regardless.
Is it okay to send ultra sound pictures to my boyfriend? How do you know the mail has been sent to the inmate?
Kiana – Yes as long as it is on regular paper. You will not receive any kind of return receipt. Pretty much it will be up to him to tell you he got it.