Mail & Packages in North Dakota (ND DOCR)

How personal mail works now

North Dakota DOCR routes incoming personal mail through an off-site scanning vendor. Personal letters, cards, photos, and drawings sent to a resident are delivered to the Securus Digital Mail Center, where each item is opened and scanned. The resident receives a digital copy on their Securus tablet (the “player”) rather than the original paper. The physical mail is not forwarded to the facility.

Address personal mail with the resident’s full committed name and ID number at their facility’s mailing address. Each ND DOCR facility has its own address, so look up the specific facility page for the exact one before sending.

Legal and privileged mail

Legal mail does not go through the scanning center. Mail from courts, attorneys, and other agencies, documents that require a signature, and visitation applications go directly to the facility where the resident is housed, not to the digital mail vendor. They are not scanned, and they are handled under the rules for privileged and special correspondence. Attorneys confirm the facility’s current handling instructions with the prison.

Books, magazines, and publications

Publications — magazines, newspapers, and books — also go directly to the facility, not through the scanning center. They are accepted only if they are new, shipped directly from an approved publisher or vendor, and compliant with facility policy — not sent by family or friends. Look up the current address for the specific facility, since each prison’s address differs.

Packages

Packages are handled through the facility, not the digital mail center. Confirm the facility’s current package rules — including any approved vendor and any quarterly limits — with the prison before sending anything, since these differ by location and custody level.

Verify Before Acting

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