inmate email
Inmates may receive letters in any number, mail is picked up and delivered through the kiosk, five days a week (Monday through Friday), including emails, except on federal holidays. all incoming mail will be opened, inspected and scanned at the kiosk for inmate viewing for up to 6 months. scanned mail will be held for two business days before being destroyed. To send postal mail to an inmate, follow this postal address format:
[inmate name and ID number required] [include unit location, if known] bexar county adult detention center 200 n. comal street san antonio, tx 78207
book deliveries
Inmates are allowed to receive publications such as three (3) pocket books (three (3) per week, per inmate), magazines and newspapers as long as they come directly from a publisher or a established bookstore. the inmate’s ID number must be on the shipping label; otherwise it will be returned to sender. all paperbacks must have a perfect binding.
Any posting of family, friends and internet sites is prohibited and all items will be returned to sender. all third party book providers are prohibited. adult magazines like playboy, hustler, etc. are strictly prohibited.
Amazon book deliveries
You can order books from Amazon, but a common carrier (US Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx) must deliver them. Do not use amazon same day delivery that uses a contracted carrier or your order will not be accepted; will be rejected and returned to sender.
prohibited items & information
- Do not send contraband by letter (hair combs, jewelry, bookmarks, cigarettes, stickers, greeting cards with ribbon/glitter/yarn/beads and other items deemed inappropriate, etc.). any illegal items will be confiscated.
- do not send glasses or contact lenses
- do not send food or drinks
- do not send more than 6 photos in one envelope, and photos larger than 5″ x 7″ are prohibited. photos must not contain nudity of any kind (partial nudity or sexually suggestive) and all children must be fully clothed. Photos with signs and/or gestures of gangs, weapons, drugs, and/or drug paraphernalia will be rejected.
- Do not send cash, money orders, cashier’s checks, or any other similar item through the mail.
- do not send credit cards, phone cards, driver’s licenses, photo IDs
- do not send original documents: birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards, titles automobiles etc
- do not send hard plastic or cardboard items
- do not send greeting cards with musical devices
- do not send art supplies, including writing instruments, watercolors, paint, colored pencils, etc.
- do not send pages torn from any book or magazine
- do not send maps, calendars, mail order catalogs, sketchbooks, diaries and posters
- do not send hardcover, leather-bound, or spiral-bound books. adult magazines are strictly prohibited. All books, magazines, and newspapers must be paperback and shipped via USPS, UPS, or FedEx using well-established bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc.) or directly from the publisher. Any posting of family, friends, local bookstores and books from internet sites is prohibited.
Any prohibited item deemed inappropriate or contraband will be returned to sender with a disposition notice by mail stating the reason the mailpiece could not be delivered. A copy of the non-delivery notice will be sent to the inmate. any mail that is not opened (no ID number, name and ID number do not match, inmate no longer here) will not receive a disposition notice. all mail sent to a detainee after they are released or transferred will be returned to sender.
receive mail/emails from an inmate
Inmates housed in the adult detention center can purchase stationery, envelopes and postage through the jail commissary. certified mail service is available through the mail room. inmates are responsible for certified postage. inmates may also purchase email/photo credits through the jail commissary. messages are .25¢ per message and photos are .50¢ per photo. messages are typically ready for review within 48 hours. Please note: Please do not send legal mail, special mail, or privileged mail through this service. All correspondence will be sent to the facility’s mail room and will be subject to regular inspection and screening of the mail prior to delivery.
If after reading the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Mailroom Guidelines, you need additional assistance, please contact:
questions? mail room 210-335-6240 or 210-335-6868 email: bcsomailroom@bexar.org