Forsyth County Detention Center Inmate Mail

Type of Mail Allowed for Forsyth County Detention Center

Forsyth County Detention Center Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Forsyth County Detention Center 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 Forsyth County Detention Center 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's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101



Legal Mail

Send all Legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101



Newspapers
Newspapers may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the 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 Forsyth County Detention Center 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 noted.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Forsyth County Detention Center standards will be disposed of. 
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's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101


 

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 Forsyth County Detention Center check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 336-917-7600 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's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

or 
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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 Forsyth County Detention Center, 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 336-917-7600 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)
Forsyth County Detention Center
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code

Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101



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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County Detention Center’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 336-917-7600.

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

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 Forsyth County Detention Center should be detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 336-917-7600 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 Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

or 
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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 Forsyth County Detention Center’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 Forsyth County Detention Center 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 336-917-7600.

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 336-917-7600 to see which one that the Forsyth County Detention Center 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 Forsyth County Detention Center 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 Forsyth County Detention Center 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 Forsyth County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted. 

Secure Messaging with inmates at Forsyth County Detention Center

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

  1. The inmate must contact you first in order to activate messaging for your account.
  2. Once an inmate has messaged you, you are then able to visit the Pay Tel website, log in, read and respond to his or her messages. 
  3. When you log in and follow the inteleMESSAGE™ link, you will be asked if you want to accept messages from the inmate. If you accept, you will then be able to read any inmate message that has been sent to you.
  4. An on-line prepaid or direct bill account is required to use messaging. 
  5. You must visit the Pay Tel website, login to your account, and follow the inteleMESSAGE™ link in order to send or check for messages. You will not be notified of messages by any other method.
  6. All messages are subject to monitoring and review and should never be used for privileged attorney-inmate communications.
  7. If a message is rejected for any reason, the sender’s account will be automatically credited for the cost of the message.
  8. Free messages which are rejected will not be refunded or restored.

Cost to send messages

  1. The sender of the message is charged $.50 per message. Rates are subject to change.
  2. For friends and family outside of a facility, this amount is deducted from the prepaid account balance or charged to your direct bill account.
  3. For inmates, the amount is charged to the inmate and deducted from the inmate’s debit account.
  4. There is no charge to read a message that was sent to you.

Paytel App Download

Check to see if Tablets are Available in Forsyth County Detention Center 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 Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

  • All mail sent to an inmate at the Forsyth County Detention Center must include the senders name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
  • Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and discarded.
  • All mail will be photocopied, and the origianal shredded. This is due to the concern for drug smuggling.

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, all letters will be photocopied and the originals shredded.
Examples of prohibited items include:

  • Stamps and stickers.
  • Musical greeting cards.
  • Altered mail such as perfumed or lipstick covered.
  • Paper with any type of stains such as grease.
  • News clippings.
  • Crayon, felt tip or hand painted drawings.

POLICIES REGARDING MAILING PHOTOS TO Forsyth County Detention Center

  • Photos should not exceed 4 inches high x 6 inches wide.
  • Send no more than five 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.
  • 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.

Tablets Rentals Offer Great Solutions for Inmates at the Forsyth County Detention Center

How can you rent a tablet for an inmate in Forsyth County? Read the following:


Tablets can be used by inmates, for the following things:

  • Phone Calls
  • Messages (email / texts)
  • Educational applications and Entertainment
  • Legal Research
  • and much more!

Contact Paytel online, or call the Forsyth County Detention Center directly at 336-917-7600 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 Forsyth County Detention Center.


 

Forsyth County Detention Center Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Forsyth County Detention Center there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the Forsyth County Detention Center:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.


 

Forsyth County Bail Bond Information

Because Forsyth County and North Carolina can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Forsyth County Detention Center at 336-917-7600, 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 Forsyth County Detention Center or the Forsyth County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

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.


 

How to Send a Secure Email Message to an Inmate in Forsyth County

To send a secure email message to an inmate in Forsyth County Detention Center follow these steps:

How inteleMESSAGE Works

  • The Forsyth County Detention Center inmate must contact you first in order to activate messaging for your account.
  • Once an inmate has messaged you, you are then able to visit the Pay Tel website, log in, read and respond to his or her messages. 
  • When you log in and follow the inteleMESSAGE™ link, you will be asked if you want to accept messages from your Forsyth County inmate. If you accept, you will then be able to read any inmate message that has been sent to you.

For all information on rates, and how to Text/Email an Inmate in Forsyth County Detention Center check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Forsyth County.


 

How Do Inmates in Forsyth County Detention Center Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Forsyth County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

For all the information regarding phone calls with Forsyth County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, costs, limits, tablet rental and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

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

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

  • Select North Carolina, then select Forsyth County Detention Center, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
  • Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Forsyth 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 Forsyth County at any one time.

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


 

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Forsyth County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Forsyth County Detention Center follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select North Carolina, then select Forsyth County Detention Center, 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 Forsyth County Detention Center.


 

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