And it takes less then 5 minutes, and it means the world to them that they arent forgotten and lost, that now they are part of our everyday lives and sharing photos and long voice to text letters about how much you love them and miss them or what your dreamscapes look like with them sharing it with you thank you TextBehind for including our loved ones into our lives, together with us once again!! The N.C. Department of Public Safety has partnered with a Maryland-based company called TextBehind, which processes mail for prisons and jails in several other states including Colorado and Pennsylvania. 2. The safety and security of our prisons are always foremost, said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. text behind inmate mail +1 (786) 354-6917 text behind inmate mail [email protected] text behind inmate mail. This web page is dedicated to keeping the public informed with the most up to date policies and procedures regarding all of our mail procedures. Theres always the possibility that someonea staff member or an offenderis accidentally exposed to some dangerous substances, whether through breathing it in or its contact with skin, Ishee said. Photo orders from outside vendors are also limited to 25 photos per mailing and all photo orders must be sent to the Smart Communications address. For a list of facilities and physical addresses, click here. Office of Detention Facilities. The DOC recommends using the following address formatfor photos that are ordered from an outside vendor: Inmate Name, Inmate NumberPO Box 33028St Petersburg, Florida 33733. This helps reduce the volume of drugs and contraband entering prisons. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) has videoconferencing capabilities for court hearings between persons in our care and the Wisconsin Court System. What does Smart Communications do with the original mail? Mail sent to the Security Processing Center will be processed through to the facility where the inmate is located. An application must be completed for each adult and each minor who will attend a visiting session. How do I obtain a DOC Issued Attorney Control Number? To learn more, view our full privacy policy. Home; Carpet Cleaning; Upholstery Cleaning; Commercial & Residential Janitorial; Unlimited inmate reply letters will be electronically delivered right to your smart phone and email address wherever you are in the world. The company will then send the digital files to the prison where the offender is housed. PO Box 33028. When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows: Inmate's First and Last Name 201 North Church Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Will inmates continue to receive monthly account transaction statements? The DOC said its seeing an increase in synthetic cannabinoids, such as K2, being sprayed on envelopes and the mail inside them. Published: Nov. 3, 2021 at 7:11 PM PDT. "Prisons works hard to interdict drugs before they get into prisons. Forsyth County Detention Center Inmate Mail. Copyright 2021 WEAU. An unacceptable correspondence form will be issued to the inmate and a copy of the Notice of Unacceptable Correspondence form will be sent to the Security Office at the Facility and the sender of the correspondence. Name of Prison Public Records Requests (you will be leaving the official DOC website) . Yes, all photo copies of official documents are also held in the business office. originate directly from an original source/third-party vendor. I accidentally sent my photo book to the Smart Communications address, not the SPC address, what will happen to my photo book? TextBehind will make copies of the contents letters, greeting cards, photos, artwork, etc. Who can I reach out to? Drugs get into prisons despite extensive efforts to keep them out. How do I obtain the secondary Authentication Number? If you are an attorney or employee of a law firm and must send legal mail to an offender, contact the prison for instructions. The jail texting app was always crashing, (removing all my text so I would have to rewrite it), I could not use emojis, & I could not send cards or pictures. Offenders will receive mailed contents including cards, photos and artwork but not on the original paper. 7. Where can I get more information about Smart Communications? Use of this website constitutes your acceptance The Inmate and Offender Search tool may . There is many reasons I ENJOY this app! The DOC has reached out to multiple photo vendors to ask them to work with us on this issue however, they have all declined. Book donation organizations will process donated books to individual inmates as they have done in the past (prior to the lockdown). (IMPORTANT: The return address must include the full first name and full last name of the sender. Mobile App TextBehind - Mail Management Service Effective Date: 12 / 2 / 2019 English Version Standard mail will no longer be mailed to the physical address of: Publications sent to the Smart Communications address will be returned to the sender. For more information, see separate FAQ below. Otherwise, the photo book will be destroyed. The mail containing photographs will then be printed and delivered to the inmate by the facility mailroom. When you mail a photo copy of an official document to Smart Communications they will scan the mail into their electronic system. I accidentally sent photographs to the Security Processing Center address, not the Smart Communications address, what will happen to my photographs? What happens to this official document mail from Smart Communications once it reaches the institution? %PDF-1.7 ASQ is a tool developed by the Analysis, Programming, and Policy Section of the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. I am completely grateful for this app right here. Instead it will be sent to a third-party vendor and this venders title is TextBehind, she said. Prisons' policy is to alert local law enforcement and support prosecution whenever anyone friend, family or staff is caught trying to smuggle drugs inside prison," he added. TextBehind, Inc published TextBehind - Inmate Text Messaging for Android operating system mobile devices, but it is possible to download and install TextBehind - Inmate Text Messaging for PC or Computer with operating systems such as Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and Mac. This helps reduce the volume of drugs and contraband entering prisons. See information above on sending packages. Drugs are thrown over the fences, hidden in the mail, brought in by staff or smuggled in during visitation. The offender submits a facility Request for Assistance Form requesting the religious correspondence course, sacred text or Bible study to the facility chaplain, religious coordinator or designated staff. What happens if my photo book is denied because of content? Individuals interested in purchasing a photo book for an inmate can use their favorite search engine to find a company who offers soft-cover photo books with a maximum of 25 pages and a size not to exceed 8x11 inches. Upon this denial if the inmate wishes to appeal they have 15 working days to notify the Facility Manager in writing, in accordance with theDC-ADM 804 Inmate Grievance Systempolicy. All offender mail . Downloading the app is free, but fees are charged (starting at 49 cents) to send content. Inmates are allowed to send out up to 18 visiting applications. Original Transactional Documentation must be mailed to the attention of the facility Business Office at the institution where the inmate is housed and must identify the inmate by name and number. Personal Mail sent to the new address will be scanned and delivered electronically in the same . Name of Prison (do not abbreviate) The DOC accepts abbreviated forms of the Smart Communications address. Make cashier's checks, personal checks, and money orders payable to ACCESS SECURE DEPOSITS. RALEIGHTo make prisons safer and more secure, the North Carolina prison system is changing the way offenders receive mail. The Robesonian DPSCS permits and encourages an inmate to correspond with family, friends, and loved ones with minimum interference and consistent with the legitimate security needs of the facility. Marylands Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) permits and encourages inmates to receive mail, reading materials, and publications consistent with the United States Constitution, Maryland State and Federal laws and regulations, and Maryland DPSCS policies and procedures. The application is mailed to the inmate, but it does not need to be an original document. [email protected]. to the "You have offenders struggling for control of the contraband trade. Inmates must use the SPC as the shipping address for all books and magazines they order. Data Definitions. The DOC issues Control Numbers to Attorneys who represent a DOC inmate as well as court and select non-attorney/court entities. The company will forward the scanned images to the prison. Box 33028St. BOCM Annual Report. How will commutation packets be processed? Once the book is processed and approved by the mailroom it will be delivered to the inmate. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Why is the address for photographs from outside vendors different from photographs sent from a home address? All approved religious correspondence course, sacred text and Bible study material must be sent to the offender at the correctional facility (not through TextBehind), directly from the vendor, school or religious institution. Smart Communications is unable to process the following mail, and if received it will be returned to sender: What should I do if the vendor will not accept the full Smart Communications address because it is too long? Prison systems across the country have transitioned to digital mail over the past few years, including West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Wyoming, Colorado and Arkansas, according to NCDPS. The Security Processing Center (SPC) operates at a strict 2-3 week turnaround time. Any hard-cover photo books will be denied by the facility mailroom. These books will be processed through the SPC. Postal Service, TextBehind offers an app for smartphone or computer. Visit our SPC Tracking Siteto track packages sent through the DOC Security Processing Center. Customize the letter and submit. Materials andtexts for religious correspondence courses. Although the person ordering the publication enters the full and correct address information photo vendors frequently cut the inmates name/inmate number out of the label. The number of eBooks will continue to expand based on input by inmates and the DOC will continue to look for free eBook offerings. All general incoming correspondence needs to be sent to the DOC's third-party mail vendor Smart Communications at the address below: Smart Communications/PA DOCInmate Name/Inmate NumberInstitutionPO Box 33028St Petersburg, Florida 33733. If more than 25 photos are contained within one mailing, they will be confiscated. Did this mail contain publications or materials which open like a book? Lexipol. Advocates have spoken out about concerns regarding privacy issues, the quality of scans, the disposal of mail, and the potential negative impact on incarcerated individuals mental health through the loss of social and emotional connections from written mail from loved ones while in prison. Disciplinary infractions for substance use by offenders dropped by 50% the year after a pilot began using TextBehind. The Security Processing Center processes the following materials: Use the SCI mailing address found on the SCI's webpage, Mail which is addressedto DOC staff members, Mail which contains cash, personal checks or money orders, Mail which is bound in the center or is in a format which prevents scanning, Mail that has been damaged by the United States Postal Services, The return address listed on the envelope. 3312 Paper Mill Rd, STE 200, Phoenix, MD 21131-1473. In addition to processing mail sent through the U.S. Photographs are limited to 25 per mailing. If the inmate does not wish to appeal they can forward a cash slip with an addressed envelope to the mailroom within 15 working days from the denial to have the publication mailed out of the facility. State Government websites value user privacy. And one from the North Carolina website: "For those who prefer writing on paper, the most obvious change to the process involves a new mailing address. Upon this denial if the inmate wishes to appeal they have 15 working days to notify the Facility Manager in writing, in accordance with theDC-ADM 804 Inmate Grievance Systempolicy. Family members may not order religious items for inmates. Can I send a photo book instead of photographs? Full return address with the law office name and address; Inmate Name/NumberInstitutionInstitution Legal Mail Address, c. Attorney Control Number associated with the law office; and, d. Secondary authentication number/time code issued for that week. All general incoming correspondence will be destroyed after the 45-day retention unless otherwise instructed by DOC. The Wisconsin . Box 247 All publications need to be sent to the DOCs Security Processing Center. All digital files are then forwarded to the offenders assigned prison. *The DOC is unable to verify a missing photo book claim without a tracking number from the mail carrier who delivered the book. Any attorney, court or non-attorney/court entity wishing to send privileged correspondence must Help Topics are updated frequently to provide you with the most relevant, and Original Transactional Documentation are documents in which the inmate needs to sign and return the original to the sender (i.e. No exceptions. to draw Visit our SPC Tracking Siteto track packages sent through the DOC Security Processing Center. Are inmates limited to the number of books they may receive? I have had no issues with using the app. All photo books must be sent to the DOC's Security Processing Center using the address format below: Inmate Name/ Inmate Number268 Bricker RoadBellefonte, PA 16823-1667. However, it can take the United States Postal Service 3-5 days to deliver the mail to Smart Communications. No, the DOC requires all photo books be soft-cover. I am more than pleased with the TextBehind app. Effective immediately, all personal inmate mail should be sent to the following new address: P.O. You should reach out to the prison mailroom. What happens if I mail a photo copy of an official document to Smart Communications? It will then be printed at the institution by the SCI mailroom staff and delivered to the inmate. All rights reserved. Otherwise, the photo book will be destroyed. TextBehind enables family and friends from all over the world to communicate with their incarcerated loved ones nationwide using our innovative technology and process. You have offenders struggling for control of the contraband trade. Upon arriving at Smart Communications the mail containing photographs will be opened and scanned into an electronic document. *Legal mail, including case files and court documents, can still be sent to the prison facility directly by an attorney or legal organization. Otherwise, the photo book will be destroyed. family, friends and their incarcerated loved ones nationwide. Once we figured it out this app was very helpful. Smart Communications maintains electronic copies for 45 days. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). In North Carolina, family and friends of offenders will need to send their letters directly to TextBehind. Center. Holbrook said the jail has not yet seen paper or envelopes soaked in drugs. Who do I contact if a photo book I ordered was never received by the inmate? Any other forms of general incoming correspondence, like letters, pictures, greeting cards, children's drawings, etc., that are included with an official document sent directly to the institution's business office are prohibited. Upon arriving at Smart Communications the mail containing photographs will be opened and scanned into an electronic document. TextBehind will return mail that does not meet this standard.). transferring a vehicle title, etc.) I sent mail containing photographs to an inmate through Smart Communications; however, the inmate never received the photographs. What happens to my photo book if it sent from a home address or unverifiable vendor? Numbers will only be issued to attorneys who represent inmates or to verified Court/Court Entities.