How do I send funds to an inmate?
What kind of funds can I send or bring to the jail?
How do I send mail to an inmate?
What kind of mail can I send?
Guidelines for Personal Mail
Guidelines for Legal Mail
Guidelines for Books
Guidelines for Magazines
Undeliverable Inmate Mail
Guidelines for Phone Usage
How can I block my Phone Number?
Inmate Visitation

How do I send funds to an inmate?
You may mail funds through the US Postal Service to one of our facilities.
MCDC (Detention Center): 1120 SW 3rd, Portland OR 97204
MCIJ (Inverness Jail): 11540 NE Inverness Dr, Portland OR 97220

You may drop the funds off at one of our facilities.
MCDC – 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM seven days a week.
MCIJ - 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM Monday through Friday; 3:30 PM to 10:30 PM Saturday and Sunday.

What kind of funds can I send or bring to the jail?
Cash (bring in person, do not mail)
Certified Checks
We do not accept personal checks, credit cards or debit cards.

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How do I send mail to an inmate?
All incoming mail books and magazines will be opened and inspected
You may send mail via the US Postal Service to one of our facilities.
**Inmate mail shall not be held for more than twenty-four (24) hours, excluding weekends and holidays.**
You may come in person to fill out an “Inmate Memo Form” which can be sent through MCSO inter department mail to the inmate.
**Delivered Daily**

MCDC – 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM seven days a week.
MCIJ - 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM Monday through Friday; 3:30 PM to 10:30 PM Saturday and Sunday.

What kind of mail can I send?
Personal Mail
Legal Mail
Books
Magazines

Contraband Mail
It is a felony to introduce contraband into a correctional facility. The Enforcement Division of the Sheriff’s Office will investigate such activity or suspected activity for prosecution. Any mail that contains unacceptable enclosures will be returned to the sender. The entire piece of mail will be returned if any part is unacceptable by facility regulations.

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Guidelines for Personal Mail:
Acceptable Items
- Letters
- Photos of an appropriate nature
- Funds of an appropriate nature
Unacceptable Items
- Escape Plans
- Flammable materials
- Polaroid photos or any photo with stiff backing
- Drugs or drug paraphernalia
- Weapons, explosives, and /or any materials used in making weapons/explosives.
- Pictures, photos, motivational materials and greeting with stiff backings or larger than 8 ½ x 11.
- Books, leaflets, bibles, or pages/clippings of these items.
- Magazines other than acceptable publications directly from the publisher.
- Personal checks, stamps, pens, bus passes, stickers, or calling (phone) cards.
- Envelopes unless official self-addressed.
- Material containing portrayals of sexual activity or nudity (material displaying uncovered genitalia or female breasts;
- Inflammatory material if it constitutes a direct threat to the security and safety of the facility (as defined by MCSO Operational Procedures).
- Any device capable of storing electronic media (videotapes, cassettes, CD ROMS, and computer disks.
-Any foreign substance (i.e. perfume, tape, stickers, labels, glue, crayons, glitter, lipstick, body fluids, or any other foreign substance on the envelope or within the contents.
- Attachments to the envelope of contents such as labels, stickers, and scrap book items, etc.

Mail that contains nuisance contraband shall:
Be returned in its entirety to the sender or sent to the Dead Letter Office in San Francisco if lacking a return address.
Nuisance contraband found in the mail being sent to an inmate that originated from another inmate within Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office facilities shall not be given to or stored for any inmate.
Inmates are subject to disciplinary process for misuse of mail per the Inmate manual.

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Guidelines for Legal Mail:
- Incoming clearly marked official mail will be opened and searched for contraband in the inmates’ presence.

Guidelines for Books:
Books must be sent directly from the publisher or approved retailer via US Postal Service or they will be rejected and returned. Below are examples of approved retailers:
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.powells.com

As we receive books from other retailers, if it is questionable the OIC will make the decision or exception on a case by case basis.
- No bulk rate, third or fourth-class mail, junk mail, or packages shall be accepted.
- Publications shall clearly be in unaltered form and shall be subject to review.
- Publications must be prepaid from outside funds.
- Hard and soft covered books are acceptable but soft cover is highly recommended.
- Books cannot exceed 8 ½ x 11 inches and two (2) pounds.
- Ordered books will count towards the inmates four (4) book and magazine total. If an inmate receives a new book or magazine and that total exceeds the four (4) book limit, excess books or magazines must be donated to general inmate circulation.
- Inmates who are on disciplinary segregation will not receive their publications but will have them stored with the rest of their personal items; books in excess of four (4) will be returned to sender.
- Inmates moving within Multnomah County facilities are permitted to keep their four (4) publication limit.
- Inmates transported outside of Multnomah County facilities must donate their books to general use.

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Guidelines for Magazines:
- Magazines must be sent directly from the publisher or approved retailer via US Postal Service.
- Publications shall clearly be in unaltered form and shall be subject to review.
- Publications must be prepaid from outside funds.
- Ordered magazines will count towards the inmates four (4) book and magazine total. If an inmate receives a new book or magazine and that total exceeds the four (4) book limit, excess books or magazines must be donated to general inmate circulation.
- Inmates who are on disciplinary segregation will not receive their publications but will have them stored with the rest of their personal items; books in excess of four (4) will be returned to sender.
- Inmates moving within Multnomah County facilities are permitted to keep their four (4) publication limit.
- Inmates transported outside of Multnomah County facilities must donate their books to general use.

Unacceptable Books, Magazines, newspapers and Periodicals include:
- Items which contain instructions for the manufacturing of explosives, drugs, weapons or other unlawful substance;
- Incites, aids or assists an inmate to attempt escape, riot or disrupt Facility order and security;
- Contains portrayals of sexual activity or nudity (material displays uncovered genitalia or female breasts);
- A type that has demonstrably caused violence or other disruption of Facility security;
- Advocates racial, religious, national or other hatred in such a way so as to create serious danger of violence or other disruptive activity in the Facility;
- Encourages sexual behavior which is criminal or in violation of institution rules or detrimental to inmate programs;
- Violate state law;
- Promotes a hostile work environment.

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Undeliverable Inmate Mail:
- Shall be forwarded to the current address on file if the inmate has been transferred or released to another jurisdiction or Facility;
- Returned to sender if the inmate address is unknown.
- Sent to the US Postal Service Dead Letter Office if a return address is not available.

Guidelines for Phone Usage:
Inmates have access to a listing of free calls to public defenders, official agencies, parole and probation officers and certain private attorneys in each housing area. Calls made to any of these numbers are free of charge.
- Attorney/legal calls are to be made during scheduled walk times.
- Personal phone calls are subject to monitoring.
- Three way or third party calls are not permitted. Detection by our phone system will result in termination of the call.
- The inmate will have to contact you via collect telephone call during their walk time; you cannot call the inmate.
- The inmate telephone system has usage guidelines, limiting the total minutes and call attempts. The system will automatically block any calls in excess of:
- 400 minutes or 70 call attempts per week to any one local number, or,
- 240 minutes or 50 call attempts per week to any one long distance number.
- Each call is automatically charged at the designated rate per call to the phone number, which accepts the collect call.
Each personal call is programmed to last no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

Correctional Billing Services (CBS) is responsible for addressing any billing or inmate telephone service issues faced by the friends and family of the inmates.
1-800-844-6591 Toll-Free Number

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If an inmate is using the telephone to harass or threaten another person and you would like to report this, please contact the specific facility the inmate is housed in immediately:
Justice Center Jail (503) 988-3689
Inverness Jail (503) 988-5060
The facility will act on any urgent matter immediately.

A telephone number may be blocked:
At the request of the called party.
Non-payment to local phone company or inmate telephone provider.
Exceeding daily, weekly or monthly-established dollar/credit amount limits.
Receiving caller attempting a three-way call (phone number becomes automatically blocked).
Court order, request from police, staff, or victims.
To place a block on your phone number, click HERE

Visiting Guidelines:
The inmate must place you on their visiting list prior to your visit.
You may contact the inmate through a letter via US Postal Service,
Inmate Memo Form or if they contact you via telephone.
For more complete information regarding visiting see our visiting guidelines

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