Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Mail System Coordinators Panel (MSCP) assists offenders in maintaining contact with family and friends and facilitates offenders’ access to courts and public officials. The MSCP provides procedural training and technical assistance to unit mailroom staff and conducts mailroom operational review audits. This department also generates investigations regarding receipts of threats and unidentifiable substances in uninspected mail as reported by offenders. Only in-bound e-messages are available for friends and family to send e-mail messages to offenders. Offenders do not have any access to computers to send e-mail messages or receive e-mail messages. All e-mail messages shall be received through the mailrooms located at each unit. To set up an account, friends and family may call JPay at (800) 574-5729 or go to www.jpay.com.
The family and friends of offenders are encouraged to correspond with offenders. Letters sent to offenders shall include the offender’s name, TDCJ number, unit name, and address on the envelope. All mail addressed to offenders must be received through authorized channels; letters for different offenders should not be included in the same envelope. There is no limit for the number of persons with whom an offender may correspond.
Mail and e-messages are forwarded to offenders who transfer from one facility to another within TDCJ. Letters will be forwarded to offenders who are released from prison, if the offender provides a forwarding address.
Offenders may not correspond with minors whose parents object, with the exception of an offender’s children or stepchildren. Direct or indirect contact with a victim is prohibited in accordance with AD-04.82, “Forfeiture of Good Conduct Time for Contacting a Victim Without Authorization.” Individuals may not mail packages to offenders. Unauthorized materials or contraband found in mail addressed to offenders will be rejected. Individuals who commit serious violations of the correspondence rules may be disallowed further correspondence with an offender.
Newspapers, magazines, and books may be mailed directly to offenders only by the publisher, publication supplier or bookstore.
Family members or friends and offenders may verify that a book or magazine is approved prior to sending by contacting the unit mailroom or the Mail System Coordinators Panel (MSCP).
Stationery is defined as white, undecorated paper, unstamped envelopes, carbon paper, white envelopes with the offender’s commitment name and TDCJ number preprinted in the return address portion of the envelope, but excluding paper or envelopes with names, addresses or letterhead and tablets or writing pads with stapled binding. The appropriate stationary may be mailed to offenders only from legitimate vendors or suppliers of stationery. Items such as food, clothing, jewelry, and toiletries may not be mailed to offenders.
Jennifer Smith
Program Supervisor
Mail System Coordinators Panel
P. O. Box 99
Huntsville, TX 77342-0099
Fax: (936) 437-6336