Mail & Packages in Minnesota (MN DOC)

How personal mail works now

Minnesota does not deliver friends-and-family mail to the prison. Since November 1, 2024, the Minnesota DOC has personal mail processed off-site by a private vendor, TextBehind, which scans or photocopies each item and sends the copies to the facility. Electronic delivery to the incarcerated person’s tablet is also available for a fee. Mail sent directly to a Minnesota prison is returned to the sender.

Address personal mail with the incarcerated person’s first and last name and their OID number (the Minnesota DOC ID), the correct MCF facility name, and the TextBehind lines:

First Name / Last Name, and OID number
MCF-[Facility Name], Minnesota (do not abbreviate Minnesota)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

The same TextBehind P.O. box is used for every Minnesota facility — the facility name in the address is what routes the mail. Mail between two incarcerated people, pen-pal mail, and photo orders also go to the TextBehind address.

Legal and privileged mail

Legal mail does not use TextBehind. Mail from courts, attorneys, and other privileged correspondents goes directly to the facility where the person is housed, not to the Maryland scanning center, and is handled under the rules for legal mail. Incarcerated people use the facility’s own address as the return address on outgoing legal mail. Attorneys confirm the facility’s current handling instructions with the prison.

Books, magazines, and publications

Published materials — books, magazines, and subscription renewals — also go directly to the facility, not to the TextBehind P.O. box. Look up the current address for the specific facility on the Minnesota DOC site, since each prison’s address differs.

Business mail and vital documents

Business mail from courts, counties, child support, and other government agencies goes directly to the facility, not to TextBehind. Vital documents — such as birth certificates, Social Security cards, and IDs — are handled separately: if they reach TextBehind, the vendor forwards them to the facility, which processes them under its own rules.

Packages

Packages cannot be sent to the TextBehind scanning center. They are handled through the facility, not through the off-site vendor. Confirm the facility’s package rules with the prison, since they differ by location and custody level.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.