Inmate – Calls & Mail

INMATE MAIL

Inmates may receive letters in any quantity, and mail is collected and delivered via the kiosk, five days per week (Monday through Friday), including emails except on federal holidays. All incoming mail will be opened, inspected, and scanned into the kiosk for the inmates viewing for up to 6 months. Mail that has been scanned will be held for two business days before being destroyed. To send postal mail to an inmate please follow this mailing address format:

 [Inmate's name and SID number are REQUIRED]
 [Include Unit location, if known]
 Bexar County Adult Detention Center
 200 N. Comal Street
 San Antonio, TX 78207

BOOK DELIVERIES

Inmates are authorized to have a limited number of paperback books inside the cell (3 maximum). Any publication/books mailed to the inmate must be sent directly from a publisher or an established bookstore. Any excess books will be placed with the inmate’s property. The inmate’s SID number MUST be on the shipping label, if not, it will be returned to the sender. All paperback books must have a PERFECT binding.

Any publications from family, friends, and internet sites are prohibited and all items will be returned to the sender. All third-party book vendors are prohibited. Adult magazines such as Playboy, Hustler, etc. are strictly not allowed.

Amazon Book Deliveries

You may order books from Amazon, but a public carrier (US Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx) must deliver them. Do not use Amazon Same Day delivery that uses a contract carrier or your order will not be accepted; it will be rejected and returned to the sender.

PROHIBITED ITEMS & INFORMATION

  1. Do not send contraband in letters (combs, jewelry, bookmarks, cigarettes, stickers, greeting cards with ribbon/glitter/string/beads, and other items deemed inappropriate, etc.). Any illegal items will be confiscated.
  2. Do not send eyeglasses or contacts
  3. Do not send food or drinks
  4. Do not send more than 6 photos in an envelope, and photos larger than 5” x 7" are prohibited. Photos must not contain any type of nudity (partial nude or sexually suggestive) and all children must be fully clothed. Photos with hand gang signs and/or gestures, weapons, drugs, and or drug paraphernalia will be rejected.
  5. Do not send cash, money orders, cashier’s checks, or any other such item through the mail.
  6. Do not send credit cards, phone cards, driver’s licenses, photo ids
  7. Do not send original documents: birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards, car titles, etc. 
  8. Do not send hard plastic items or cardboard items
  9. Do not send greeting cards with musical devices
  10. Do not send art supplies, including writing instruments, watercolors, paint, colored pencils, etc.
  11. Do not send torn-out pages from any books or magazines 
  12. Do not send maps calendars, mail-order catalogs, sketchbooks, journals, and posters
  13. Do not send hardback, leather-bound, or spiral-bound books. Adult magazines are strictly prohibited. All books, magazines, and newspapers must be paperback and be sent via USPS, UPS, or FedEx using well-established bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc.) or direct from the publisher. Any publications from family, friends, local bookstores, and books from internet sites are prohibited.

Any prohibited items deemed inappropriate, or contraband will be returned to the sender with a mail disposition notice indicating the reason the correspondence was not deliverable. A copy of the non-delivery notice will be sent to the inmate. Any mail that is not opened (no SID#, name & SID# 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 the sender.

RECEIVING MAIL/emails FROM AN INMATE

Inmates housed in the Adult Detention Center may purchase stationery, envelopes, and postage stamps through the jail commissary. Certified mail service is available through the mailroom. Inmates are responsible for certified mail postage. Inmates may also purchase credits for emails/photos 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: Do not send legal mail, special mail, or privileged mail through this service. All correspondence will be sent to the facility Mailroom and shall be subject to regular mail inspection and examination prior to delivery. 

If after reading the guidelines for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Mailroom, additional assistance is required please contact:

Questions?
Mail Room 210-335-6240 or 210-335-6868
Email: BCSOMailroom@bexar.org

BCSO Ombudsman - bcsoombudsman@bexar.org