When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows:
Inmate's Full Name & SWIS #
Multnomah County Detention Center
1120 SW Third Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
....
Important: Use the third-party mail service address directly below for personal mail, IF IT IS DIFFERENT than the above address:
Inmate's Full Name & SWIS #
INMATE MAIL
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, OR 97220
Inmates have their mail delivered Monday thru Friday. There is no limit on how much mail they can receive. Inmates are allowed to send mail to friends and family, but NOT to co-defendants, other inmates in this or other jails or prisons, and NOT from people they have a 'no contact' order in place from.
The Multnomah County Detention Center has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
Follow these instructions exactly to help ensure that your inmate receives his/her mail and not have it thrown away.
Scroll down for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers regarding how to send an inmate mail, or call the Multnomah County Detention Center at 503-988-3689 with your questions.
In addition to using the US Mail, you may also come to one of the jails in Multnomah County and fill out an “Inmate Memo Form” that will be sent through their inter-departmental mail system.
After filling out a Form, give it to a Facility Security Officer. They will accept the Forms between 7:30 AM and 10:30 PM every day, except holidays. Facility Security Officers will not accept personal mail for an adult in custody.
Personal mail must still be sent through the USPS.
Postcards
The Multnomah 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.
Envelopes
The Multnomah County Detention Center may also allow regular postcards and envelopes to be mailed to inmates as well, however more and more jails are no longer allowing envelopes due to concern about paper being dipped into liquefied drugs like methamphetamines and cocaine and then mailed into secure facilities.
To confirm that the Multnomah County Detention Center still allows letters in envelopes call 503-988-3689 or view the Inmate Mail Instructions by going here.
Inmate Memo Form
In addition to using the US Mail, you may also come to one of the jails in Multnomah County and fill out an “Inmate Memo Form” that will be sent through their inter-departmental mail system.
After filling out a Form, give it to a Facility Security Officer. They will accept the Forms between 7:30 AM and 10:30 PM every day, except holidays. Facility Security Officers will not accept personal mail for an adult in custody.
Personal mail must still be sent through the USPS.
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
Most jails allow 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 above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Multnomah 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.
To confirm that the Multnomah County Detention Center continues to allow books to be mailed by a third party publisher or bookseller, call 503-988-3689.
Care packages
Care packages are pre-chosen items packaged together and sent to the inmate from a third-party vendor. They can include clothing, snacks and seasonal items.
When a jail allows the inmate to receive Care Packages they must come directly from an approved company that specializes in serving the inmates of jails. At this time Multnomah County sells commissary items direct to the inmates.
What is my inmate’s mailing address?
How do I mail a letter to an inmate in the Multnomah County Detention Center?
How do I address a letter to an inmate?
If a letter is withheld from being delivered to an inmate, will they be notified?
What can I send to an inmate by mail?
Can I send pictures to an inmate?
Can I send newspapers, magazines and books to an inmate in the Multnomah County Detention Center?
How often can I send letters or cards to an inmate?
How often can an inmate mail letters?
What is considered ‘contraband’ in an inmate’s mail?
Can I send printouts from my computer to an inmate?
Can I send an inmate a package?
If I send something to an inmate that is not allowed, can the inmate or I get in trouble?
Can I send an inmate postage stamps?
How can an inmate get stamps while in jail or prison?
If an inmate has no money, will the Multnomah County Detention Center give them stamps?
What happens if I send the inmate drugs, a weapon or anything illegal, will I get in trouble?
What are some other important mail tips to avoid problems?
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 Multnomah County Detention Center check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 503-988-3689 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 Full Name & SWIS #
INMATE MAIL
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, OR 97220
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Multnomah County Detention Center
1120 SW Third Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
If a red address is visible above, 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 Multnomah 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 the facility. If you still have questions, then call the jail at 503-988-3689 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.
Don't be the loved one sitting 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)
Multnomah County Detention Center
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Inmate's Full Name & SWIS #
INMATE MAIL
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, OR 97220
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 Multnomah County Sheriff or District Attorney for possible criminal investigation and/or indictment.
Generally nothing but a letter, printouts from a computer printer or photographs (not polaroid) 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 Multnomah 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 the Multnomah County Detention Center, call them at 503-988-3689.
Most jails allow newspapers, magazines and books to be sent to an inmate, as long as 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 'book and periodical' policy of the Multnomah County Detention Center are detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 503-988-3689 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 & SWIS #
INMATE MAIL
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, OR 97220
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Multnomah County Detention Center
1120 SW Third Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
NOTE: Use the address in red if it is visible to you.
Exception: 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 Multnomah County Detention Center’s policies, which are outlined on this page.
An inmate in the Multnomah County Detention Center 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 Multnomah County Detention Center 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 503-988-3689.
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 out the Money Page or the Commissary Page for further information, or call the jail at 503-988-3689 to see which one that the Multnomah County Detention Center works with.
Here are all of the commissary package companies, in alphabetical order, who 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 the Multnomah County Detention Center 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 by 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 Multnomah County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
Multnomah County Detention Center uses Securus eMessaging for Inmate Email.
Register here. (You are already registered if you signed up with Securus for Phone or Remote Visitation).
Steps:
1. Sign up for eMessaging
2. Find your inmate.
3. Purchase a book of Securus ‘stamps’.
4. Type & Send message.
Things you CAN do:
1. You CAN ONLY send messages from the Securus website, or with the app (links below).
2. You CAN transfer ‘stamps’ to your inmate.
3. You CAN deposit money to your inmate, and they can purchase ‘stamps’ on their end.
4. Each time you send a message, you CAN pay for them to reply.
5. You CAN send photos. (Jail staff will review for appropriateness)
Things you CANNOT do:
1. You CANNOT use your own personal email to send messages.
2. You CANNOT send any message or photo that would normally be rejected by regular mail.
Other Things:
1. Photos must be .jpg, .jpeg or .png.
2. eMessages and photos must meet the jail’s standards for regular mail.
3. If your eMessage or Photo is rejected you will be notified of the reason, but you will NOT get a refund.
Contact Information and Help:
eMessaging FAQ
eMessaging Signup & Helpful Information
Online Customer Service Support
Phone Support: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591
iphone app
Android app
Check payments
Securus Correctional Billing Services
PO Box 650757
Dallas, Texas 75265-075
Inmate's Full Name & SWIS #
INMATE MAIL
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, OR 97220
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:
