Postcards
The Buena Vista Minimum 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 Buena Vista Minimum Center also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink.
Envelopes must be white, be less than 9" x 12", commercially produced, made of tearable paper only, must not have stickers or labels or drawings on them. No glitter, paper clips or staples.
The paper must be white copy paper or white lined paper only.
In an effort to reduce the introduction of contraband into CDC facilities, inmates will only receive two sheets of 8½ x 11 inches of copy paper, which will include a copy of the envelope and three pieces of the correspondence on the four-sides of the two sheets of copy paper.
Only black and white copies will be made, and no cards, larger size paper, or anything else will be manipulated to fit on the copy paper.
Additionally, any general correspondence that exceeds these limits will be treated as contraband. The inmate will have thirty (30) days to pay for return postage or it will be destroyed.
Please write all letters in dark ink only (black or blue ink).
Do not use pencils or yellow markers because it will reduce image quality. Note the examples below that illustrate copy quality when using ink versus pencil.
Postcards and envelopes MUST HAVE the sender's full name and return address on the envelope.
Postcards and envelopes MUST be addressed as follows:
Mail to:
Inmate’s Name and DOC Number
Name of Prison
P.O. Box Number or Street Address
City, State and Zip Code
Legal Mail
All Legal Mail must be addressed as follows:
Mail to:
Inmate’s Name and DOC Number
Name of Prison
P.O. Box Number or Street Address
City, State and Zip Code
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 Buena Vista Minimum Center allows only NEW books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & 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 Buena Vista Minimum 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 must be addressed as follows:
Mail to:
Inmate’s Name and DOC Number
Name of Prison
P.O. Box Number or Street Address
City, State and Zip Code