Sending Mail to Inmates in North Dakota
Offenders are allowed to receive and send an unlimited amount of mail, and have no restriction on the number of people they can correspond with. All mail is opened, inspected for contraband, and may be read with the exception of legal mail which will not be read, but can still be opened and inspected in the presence of the inmate. Inmates are prohibited from corresponding with pen pals.
In addition to letters, inmates can receive 4"x6" photos. Polaroid and instant photos are not allowed as these present a security risk. Photos are not allowed to contain nudity. A maximum of twenty photos may be sent at a time, duplicate photos are not allowed.
When you send mail to your inmate always include your complete return address, format the inmate's address as follows:
Inmate Name, ID Number
Facility Name
PO Box or Street address
City, State, Zip Code
Refrain from putting any embellishments on the envelope or letters. Mail that contains glitter, lipstick, stickers, glue, markers, perfume etc. will be rejected.
Inmates also have access to electronic mail sent through JPAY. The message you send is printed in the mail room and delivered like regular mail. Inmates do not have access to computers or the internet.
How to Send Books and Magazines to Inmates in North Dakota
Inmates in North Dakota are allowed to receive books, magazines and newspaper subscriptions sent directly from a reputable vendor like Amazon.com. All books must be new and must be soft cover/paperback edition. All publications must have acceptable content, and cannot contain nudity, or describe the manufacture of drugs, alcohol or weapons. If you want to learn more about sending these items to an inmate you can read about it here.
Sending Money to Inmates in North Dakota
While incarcerated, inmates will have several assigned financial accounts. A spending account will contain all the money the inmate arrives at the institution with, and money that is received from friends and family members. A receipt is given to the inmate each time a deposit is made to their account. Inmates also have a "Release Aid Account" which is where 25% of all the money they earn while incarcerated is deposited. The release aid account is not accessible to the inmate until they are discharged, and helps them to re-establish themselves into society. Offenders also have access to interest bearing savings account.
If the inmate has outstanding administrative fee's, fines, or owes restitution the warden is authorized to remove funds from the inmates account to pay these financial obligations.
Inmates in a North Dakota prison can only receive funds in the form of a money order sent through the mail. The money order must be fully and legibly filled out and made payable to the inmate's committed name and ID number.
If the inmate is located in Missouri River Correctional Center or North Dakota State Penitentiary you will send the completed money order to:
North Dakota State Penitentiary
P.O. Box 5521
Bismarck, ND 58506-5521
James River Correctional Center inmates should have their funds mailed to:
James River Correctional Center
2521 Circle Drive
Jamestown, ND 58401
For more information on sending funds to an inmate, read our guide here.
North Dakota Inmate Phone Calls
Inmates are allowed a maximum of twenty people on their calling list. Inmates are allowed to make outgoing collect calls, and calls on minutes they can purchase from the commissary only. At no time can an inmate receive an incoming call. If an emergency situation exists, such as a serious illness or death of a family member, you may contact the inmate's counselor with the pertinent information. After verifying the emergency the inmate may be permitted to make a special outgoing call.
All calls are recorded and monitored with the exception of legal calls. Phone calls can be a maximum of fifteen minutes in duration. For the North Dakota Inmate Telephone Application click here.
You may be able to drastically reduce your inmate phone bill by setting up your account with a number local to the facility. Learn more about how you can save money on your inmate phone calls.