West County Detention Facility Inmate Mail

Sending Mail to an Inmate using Pigeonly Digital Mail

West County Detention Facility Physical Mail and Digital Mail Instructions

When you send mail to an inmate in West County Detention Facility, it gets sent to a third party service that takes the content and scans it, then forwarded to the jail to be printed out and given to the inmate.

Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility - 1118
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193

West County Detention Facility is using this service because all too often, inmates were receiving letters soaked in illegal liquid drugs.

The service, called Pigeonly, accepts non-privileged (legal) mail.

Pigeonly will process the following non-privileged (regular personal) mail:

  • Letters (including drawings)
  • Greeting Cards
  • Postcards
  • 4x6 Photos (limit of up to 10 per parcel)
  • Unbound Newsletters

As an additional service Pigeonly offers a service where you don't even have to use the USPS to send the inmate mail, but can send your letters and photos directly from your phone or computer. There are several plans; monthly and annual, that come with a fee, but save you the trouble of dealing with writing and mailing letters the old school way.

Pigeonly’s Accepted Mail Requirements

  • All mail must have a return address.
  • Envelopes must be no larger than 4 in. x 9½ in.
  • Letters must be on paper that is no larger than 8 ½ in. x 11 in.
  • Greeting Cards must be no larger than 5 in. x 7 in.
  • Postcards must be 5 in. x 7 in.
  • Photographs must be 4 in. x 6 in. (limit to 10 photos per parcel)

Pigeonly’s Prohibited Mail Materials

  • Mail with glitter, rhinestones, stickers, or glued items.
  • Greeting Cards that are electronic, have pop-ups, or are oversized.
  • Photographs smaller/larger than 4 in. x 6 in.
  • Photographs from 3rd-party vendors (ex. Shutterfly)
  • Unused/blank envelopes, paper, stationary, and stamps.
  • Official documents.
  • Bulk mail.
  • Personal checks and/or cash.

What can you mail to an inmate in West County Detention Facility?

West County Detention Facility Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The West County Detention Facility allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature. It is best to only use blue or black ink. Always include your name and return address.

Envelopes
The West County Detention Facility also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink.

Postcards and envelopes MUST HAVE the sender's full name and return address on the envelope. 

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility - 1118
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193



Legal Mail

Send all Legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806



Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The West County Detention Facility allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as AmazonBarnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the West County Detention Facility standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.


All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806


 

What is Inmate mail?

By law, every inmate is entitled to receive mail delivered through the United State Postal Service. While for years, this mail was always delivered in the form of a letter or a postcard from friends and loved ones directly to the inmate, the definition of inmate mail has changed a bit.

Inmate mail can be:

•    A letter in an envelope,
•    A postcard,
•    A greeting card, or
•    A digital letter

Because of security and contraband concerns, mainly the paper and envelope that a letter is written on or enclosed in, being soaked in a liquid form of drugs, many jails are increasingly limiting the type of mail inmates can get.

Some still allow regular mail in an envelope with a stamp, but many now have the letter sent to a third-party that opens the letter, scans it and the envelope into a computer, emails the letter to the jail where they print it out, giving the photocopies to the inmate, or they send it to a computer kiosk or tablet digitally that the inmate can access.

Others only allow postcards, specifically the white, pre-stamped postcards that you can purchase from the post office. 

When greeting cards are allowed, they can’t be cards with glitter, music or other do-dads. They can only be plain paper cards.

Some jails, in fact most, require that mail be written or typed with only black or blue ink. Some allow black pencils to be used.

None allow crayons, markers, lipstick prints, etc. 

All require white envelopes, white paper or lined paper such as from a pad. Very few allow paper that is card stock. It must be plain white, 20-lb. printer paper.

To see the inmate mail policies for West County Detention Facility check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 510-262-4200 for specific information.

What is my inmate’s mailing address?

There are five different types of addresses for every jail:

1.    The physical address of the jail
2.    The mailing address for an inmate’s personal mail
3.    The mailing address for the inmate’s legal mail
4.    The mailing address for the jail’s administrative staff
5.    The mailing address for sending money to the inmate’s trust or commissary fund
       Visit the Inmate Money page for this information

In general, the only three addresses that friends and family of inmates need to be concerned about are:

•    The inmate address for personal mail.
•    The address for sending money orders to the inmate’s commissary account.
      Visit the Inmate Money page for this information.
•    The physical address of the jail.

Because this section is about mailing an inmate, the address for mailing an inmate is:

Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility - 1118
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193

or 
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806

If the red address is visible, then use that address, as that is the new address the jail is using for an inmate's personal mail to combat contraband entering the facility.

How do I mail a letter to an inmate in jail?

To mail a letter to an inmate in the West County Detention Facility, first completely read all the mail policies and guidelines that are on this page. Also read any updated mail guidelines that are on the official page for facility. If you still have questions, then call the jail at 510-262-4200 and ask specifics.

It is important to understand that if even one thing is done incorrectly when sending a letter to the jail, even if everything else is done correctly, then your letter will not be delivered to the inmate.  In fact, even though the jail claims they will mail your letter back to you so that you will know it was not delivered, there is always the chance it will be disposed of. 

So here you are at home, wondering why your inmate is not responding to your letter, when in fact, they may not have even received it.

How do I address an inmate?

All mail to the inmate must be addressed as follows:

A full return address, which includes your full name and full address.  Without this the mail will not be delivered to the inmate.

A complete address to the inmate, including:

Full Name (name that they were booked under)
Inmate ID# (booking #, SO #, etc.)
Inmate’s Housing location (if you know it)
West County Detention Facility
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code

Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility - 1118
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193



A letter that is not addressed completely may not get delivered. Keep in mind that often there is more than one inmate in a jail with the same name. You certainly don’t want the wrong inmate getting your private mail, do you?

If a letter is not delivered to an inmate, will they be notified?

Sometimes. There are some jails that will deliver you a notification that a letter which was intended for you was returned because it was either improperly addressed, did not have return address, contained contraband of some sort, had things written in it that were against mail and jail policies, or were sent by someone you were not allowed contact with such as co-defendant or someone the court had forbidden contact with such as a spouse in a domestic violence case.

Most of the time though, the letter is either returned or destroyed, and if there are illegal substances in the letter, it will be turned over to the Contra Costa County Sheriff or District Attorney for possible criminal investigation and/or indictment.

What can I send to an inmate by mail?

Generally nothing but a letter, printouts from a computer printer or photographs can be sent to an inmate in the mail. If there is anything else enclosed, the entire letter and the contents will be returned to you or destroyed.

There are a few exceptions to this, such as several county jails in New York, including the infamous Riker’s Island. Riker’s allows all kinds of things to be mailed to an inmate, including a box of items every month.

Can I send pictures to an inmate?

Every jail has their own policy regarding allowing inmates to receive photographs in the mail, if at all. For West County Detention Facility’s policy, review the information on this page.

In general, most jails allow an inmate to have anywhere from four to six photographs in their possession at any one time. These cannot be polaroids, and the photos cannot be construed as even mildly sexual (such as a woman or child in a bathing suit), gang related, drug related or violent.

Some jails allow only photocopied photos.

Some jails only allow photos that are sent digitally and must remain digital.

There are only a few jails that do not allow any photos of any kind.

If you are still uncertain as the policy regarding photographs at this facility, call them at 510-262-4200.

Can I send newspapers, magazines and books to an inmate in the West County Detention Facility?

Most jails allow newspapers, magazines and books to be sent to an inmate, if they come directly from the publisher, such as directly from the newspaper or magazine themselves, or from the specific book publisher or trusted mail order source such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

There is often a limit of the quantity of books and magazines an inmate can either receive at one time, receive each month, or have in their possession at any one time. 

Hardcover books, or books with wire spiral binders are never allowed.

Any publications that portray or discuss violence, sex, gang activity, drugs, jail escapes or anything else against jail policies are not allowed and will be returned.

The policy of the West County Detention Facility should be detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 510-262-4200 and ask.

Keep in mind that the address the publications should be mailed to is not always the mailing address of where the inmate gets their regular mail, the mail that is scanned and forwarded digitally to them.

The mailing address for publications is:

Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806

or 
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806

Use the address in red if it is visible to you.

NOTE: There are a few New York jails that allow publications to be sent directly to them as opposed to having it sent through the publisher. One of the most notable exceptions is Riker’s Island in New York City.

How often can I send letters or cards to an inmate?

There is no limit to how often you can send letters or cards to an inmate. You are only limited to the types of letters and cards that you can send, considering West County Detention Facility’s policies, which are outlined on this page.

How often can the inmate mail letters?

An inmate can mail letters as often as they like.  There is no limit to the number of letters that an inmate can write and send.  They are only limited by the number of stamps they can afford to purchase through commissary, and the amount of commissary spend that the West County Detention Facility allows.

What is considered contraband in the mail?

Contraband is defined as anything that the jail does not allow to be mailed to an inmate, which is just about everything. The list would fill ten sets of encyclopedias. 

It easier to say what is allowed to be sent through the mail:

•    When allowed, a certain number of photographs.
•    When allowed, newspapers, magazines and books, if they are sent from a publisher.
•    When allowed, a care package of snacks, hygiene products or clothing from a commissary company that has contracted with the jail.

Can I send printouts from my computer to an inmate?

Some jails allow printouts of photographs and information to be sent to an inmate through the mail. Refer to the mail policy on this page or by calling the jail directly at 510-262-4200.

Can I send an inmate a package?

Many jails contract with companies that send food, hygiene products and/or clothing to inmates. These can be purchased and sent by friends and family on a weekly or monthly basis.

You can only send items from the one that your jail has a contract with. 

Check this page, the Money Page or the Commissary Page for further information, or call the jail at 510-262-4200 to see which one that the West County Detention Facility works with.

Here are the commissary package companies, in alphabetical order, that provide this service to jails in the United States:

Access Securepak
Care A Cell
Commissary order
Correct Pay
Express Account
icare
Inmate Canteen
Jail ATM
Jail Pack Store (McDaniel Supply)
My Care Pack
Oasis (jailcanteen)
Prodigy Solutions
Tiger
Union Supply Direct

Can I send an inmate a gift?

The only gifts you can send an inmate must come from one of the stores above, and West County Detention Facility must contract with them.

If I send something to an inmate that is not allowed, can the inmate or I get in trouble?

If the item that you send an inmate is illegal, then you and/or your inmate can get in trouble, otherwise if it is not illegal, it will just be destroyed or in some cases, returned to you.

Note that if you continue to send items that are considered contraband, some of your communication privileges with your inmate, such as visitation or phone calls, may be suspended.

Can I send an inmate postage stamps?

No, you cannot send postage stamps. Stamps must be purchased by the inmate through commissary. You can send them the money for stamps, but not the stamps.

How can an inmate get stamps while in jail or prison?

Stamps can be purchased in the jail commissary be the inmate.

If an inmate has no money, will the West County Detention Facility give them stamps?

Yes. If an inmate is indigent, the jail will provide them 2-3 stamps, and an equal amount of envelopes and stationery each week. 

What happens if I send the inmate drugs or something that can be a weapon, will I get in trouble?

Yes. If you send the inmate drugs, a weapon or anything illegal, it will be turned over to the Contra Costa County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted. 

Emailing an Inmate in the West County Detention Facility

For email and texting an Inmate in the West County Detention Facility use Pigeonly

Pigeonly allows you to digitally send an inmate:

  • Letters (including drawings)
  • Greeting Cards
  • Postcards
  • 4x6 Photos (limit of up to 10 per parcel)
  • Unbound Newsletters

Pigeonly offers a service where you don't even have to use the USPS to send the inmate mail, but can send your letters and photos directly from your phone or computer. There are several plans; monthly and annual, that come with a fee, but save you the trouble of dealing with writing and mailing letters the old school way.

will either print them out for your inmate or put them on a terminal in their unit to see and read them.

Mailed Items NOT Allowed

While there is no limit to the amount of mail an inmate can receive at this jail, there are items that are prohibited.

Examples of prohibited items include:

Oversized and not likely to reasonably fit in an inmate's personal
storage drawer/bin.

Contain Polaroid photographs.

Have envelopes with any writing on it other than the name and
address information of the sender and receiving party.

Contain any writing/drawing in crayon, marker or colored pencils.

Contain any stains or unidentifiable marks.

Unsolicited Commercial Mail

Mail deemed to be unsolicited commercial mail, as defined in this policy, will not be accepted for distribution in any Contra Costa County Detention Facility.

Unsolicited commercial mail will be returned to the sender if it can be done without cost to the Office of the Sheriff.

Any unsolicited commercial mail that cannot be returned without cost will be recycled or destroyed.

Questionable materials will be referred to the shift supervisor for review and approval on a case-by case basis.

Sexually explicit drawings on the outside of mailing envelopes will not be accepted by U.S. Postal authorities and will be returned to the sender.

Call 510-262-4200 or click here for a complete list of prohibited items.

POLICIES REGARDING MAILING PHOTOS TO West County Detention Facility

Photos should not exceed 4 inches high x 6 inches wide.
Send no more than TEN photos at one time.
Polaroid Photos are prohibited.
Photos of weapons are prohibited.
Photos of drugs, the consuming of drugs or alcohol is prohibited.
Photos of lewd behavior or people exhibiting too much skin is prohibited.

Important Mail Tips

Mail is always scanned and inspected for contraband, obscenity and other rule infractions.

Staff members want you to know that any mail/letters you send to an inmate might be read by jail staff to scan for security issues or discussions of escape.

Assume that everything you write will be read by jail staff and can and will be used against you or your inmate in court.  

Never write anything about the inmate's court case you wouldn't want read aloud in court.

Mail is considered by the jail to be a privilege. Any violations of the mail policies can result in the inmate's mail privileges being suspended.

The introduction of contraband by you into the jail through the mail could result in criminal charges being filed against both you and the inmate.

Click here to view contact information for the West County Detention Facility.

How Do You Deposit Money in an Inmate's Account at the West County Detention Facility

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail
Bring money to the jail in person. 
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use a self-serve kiosk in the lobby that accepts cash, debit or Visa and MC credit cards.


Option 2 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person.
Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.
Mail to the West County Detention Facility:
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806

For complete information on depositing money at the West County Detention Facility, including limits, where to drop or mail them and anything else, check out our Inmate Money page.


 

For mailing, emailing and texting an Inmate in the West County Detention Facility use Pigeonly

Pigeonly allows you to physically or digitally send an inmate:

  • Letters (including drawings)
  • Greeting Cards
  • Postcards
  • 4x6 Photos (limit of up to 10 per parcel)
  • Unbound Newsletters

Pigeonly offers a service where you don't even have to use the USPS to send the inmate mail, but can send your letters and photos directly from your phone or computer. There are several plans; monthly and annual, that come with a fee, but save you the trouble of dealing with writing and mailing letters the old school way.

will either print them out for your inmate or put them on a terminal in their unit to see and read them.

For complete information on using pigeonly to mail letters, email letters, cards, photos, articles, as well as find out pricing plans, check out our Inmate Email page or Inmate Mail page.


 

West County Detention Facility Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The West County Detention Facility allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The West County Detention Facility also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility - 1118
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193



Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806



Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The West County Detention Facility allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as AmazonBarnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the West County Detention Facility standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.


All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate Name – Booking Number
West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806


 

How Do You Communicate with an Inmate in the West County Detention Facility by Phone

Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

  • Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
  • Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
  • Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for West County Detention Facility, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

For full instructions on the West County Detention Facility Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Contra Costa County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in West County Detention Facility follow these steps:

  • Select California, then select West County Detention Facility, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
  • Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Contra Costa County.
  • Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Contra Costa County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in West County Detention Facility check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Contra Costa County.


 

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Contra Costa County

To send commissary money to an inmate in West County Detention Facility follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select California, then select West County Detention Facility, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for West County Detention Facility.


 

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