Type of Mail Allowed for Catawba County Detention Facility
Postcards
The Catawba County Detention Facility allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. It is best to only use blue or black ink. Always include your name and return address. All mail will be scanned and delivered digitally. Write your return address on the letter, as the envelopes are destroyed.
Envelopes
The Catawba County Detention Facility also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink. All mail will be scanned and delivered digitally. Write your return address on the letter, as the envelopes are destroyed. No photos can be mailed.
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's Name
Catawba County Detention Facility
PO Box 385
Newton NC 28658
Legal Mail
Send all Legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's name
Catawba County Detention Facility
100 Government Drive
Newton, NC 28658
Newspapers
No newspapers allowed.
Magazines
No magazines allowed.
Books
No books allowed.
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 Catawba County Detention Facility check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 828-465-8999 for specific information.
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's Name
Catawba County Detention Facility
PO Box 385
Newton NC 28658
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Catawba County Detention Facility
100 Government Drive
Newton, NC 28658
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.
To mail a letter to an inmate in the Catawba 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 828-465-8999 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.
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)
Catawba County Detention Facility
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Inmate's Name
Catawba County Detention Facility
PO Box 385
Newton NC 28658
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?
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 Catawba County Sheriff or District Attorney for possible criminal investigation and/or indictment.
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.
Every jail has their own policy regarding allowing inmates to receive photographs in the mail, if at all. For Catawba 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 828-465-8999.
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 Catawba County Detention Facility should be detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 828-465-8999 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's name
Catawba County Detention Facility
100 Government Drive
Newton, NC 28658
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Catawba County Detention Facility
100 Government Drive
Newton, NC 28658
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.
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 Catawba County Detention Facility’s policies, which are outlined on this page.
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 Catawba County Detention Facility allows.
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.
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 828-465-8999.
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 828-465-8999 to see which one that the Catawba 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
The only gifts you can send an inmate must come from one of the stores above, and Catawba County Detention Facility must contract with them.
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.
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.
Stamps can be purchased in the jail commissary be the inmate.
Yes. If an inmate is indigent, the jail will provide them 2-3 stamps, and an equal amount of envelopes and stationery each week.
Yes. If you send the inmate drugs, a weapon or anything illegal, it will be turned over to the Catawba County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
Secure Messaging with inmates at Catawba County Detention Facility
inteleMESSAGE by Pay Tel is a service in which inmates can use tablets to send messages to any friend or family member that has set up an on-line prepaid or direct bill account with Pay Tel.
How inteleMESSAGE Works
Cost to send messages
Paytel App Download
Check to see if Tablets are Available in Catawba County Detention Facility for rent to your inmate. Tablets can be used for phone calls, messaging, education, and entertainment.
How to address your Inmate's Postcard or Envelope
Inmate's Name
Catawba County Detention Facility
PO Box 385
Newton NC 28658
Mailed Items NOT Allowed
If your inmate is mailed anything other than a letter or postcard (or sometimes) greeting cards it won't get through.
However as stated above, because of the increased smuggling of drugs, more and more jails are only allowing pre-stamped or metered, solid color or white postcards to be received by inmates, or even using a third-party service that scans the letters and delivers paper or digital copies.
Examples of prohibited items include:
Important Mail Tips
Because Catawba County and North Carolina can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Catawba County Detention Facility at 828-465-8999, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this right after an arrestee has been booked.
Ask the staff at the Catawba County Detention Facility or the Catawba County Court Clerk these specific questions:
If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.
This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.
To visit an inmate in Catawba County follow these steps:
Who do you contact if you are having any problems arranging the remote video visit of an inmate in Catawba County?
Call iWebVisit support at 775-434-8748. They are available 7 Days a week (5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST)
For full instructions on all the benefits of using IC Solutions to visit a Catawba County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page.
How can you rent a tablet for an inmate in Catawba County? Read the following:
Tablets can be used by inmates, for the following things:
Contact Paytel online, or call the Catawba County Detention Facility directly at 828-465-8999 to rent a tablet for your inmate.
To find out everything you need to know about renting a tablet, what it can be used for, how much it costs, and more, check out our Tablet Page for Catawba County Detention Facility.
To send a secure email message to an inmate in Catawba County Detention Facility follow these steps:
How inteleMESSAGE Works
For all information on rates, and how to Text/Email an Inmate in Catawba County Detention Facility check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Catawba County.
Catawba County Detention Facility uses McDaniel Supply Company for their inmate commissary.
McDaniel Supply operates the JailPackStore website so you can order online using a credit or debit card. They will send the money to your inmate at Catawba County Detention Facility.
JailPackStore has a very cumbersome website that requires you to:
1. register,
2. add a credit or debit card, and then
3. locate your inmate, before you can even deposit funds.
Maximum Deposit - $300
Fee to Deposit Money using a credit or debit card -
Any money that you deposit and don't immediately send will be held as a credit on your account for future disbursement or spend.
For full instructions on how to deposit money to your inmate online, what the fees are, and how to save money doing it this way, check out our inmate money page.
To receive phone calls from inmates in Catawba County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:
For all the information regarding phone calls with Catawba County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, costs, limits, tablet rental and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Catawba County Detention Facility follow these steps:
NOTE: There will also be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Catawba County at any one time.
For all information, tips and a list and photos of available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Catawba County Detention Facility check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Catawba County.
