Incarcerated Individual Mail

We encourage friends and family members to correspond with incarcerated individuals during their incarceration at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility (BCCF). Incarcerated individuals are allowed to send and receive unlimited correspondence that complies with the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) Mail Policy.

Postage-paid envelopes and writing paper are available for incarcerated individuals to purchase through the facility commissary (see Inmate Funds page).

Mail Rules

  1. All mail must be printed on paper no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches. 
  2. NO glitter, glitter glue, confetti, stamps (other than postage stamps), stickers, labels, or seals are allowed on letters, drawings, greeting cards, or the envelope, or in the envelope the mail is sent in.
  3. All correspondence must be free of perfume/cologne.
  4. No sexually explicit materials may be sent - this includes photographs, books, letters, drawings, magazines, newspapers, periodicals, printouts, etc.
  5. No photographs, drawings, printed or handwritten instructions relating to manufacturing explosives, drugs, weapons, or other unlawful materials may be sent.
  6. No material that advocates or promotes violence or facility disruption may be sent.
  7. No material that is gang-related, racially, politically, nationally or religiously volatile, or which would assimilate hatred in any form, may be sent.
  8. No food, beverages, clothing, smoking materials, drugs, personal items, writing materials, bedding, household items, entertainment items (including technology), money, gift cards, reading materials, etc. may be sent to an inmate (other than listed in Number 15 below).
  9. Photos must have no frames or borders. No Polaroid type of photo may be sent. The above requirements listed above in 7, 8, 9, and 10 for appropriate content apply.
  10. Money orders or bank checks may be sent to an inmate in a card or letter. See the Inmate Funds page for applicable rules.
  11. No cash or gift cards may be sent to an inmate under any circumstance.
  12. Books (no hardcover) magazines, newspapers, and periodicals may be sent to incarcerated individuals, but they must be sent directly to the individual by the publisher or a distributor (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, for example). All such materials sent by anyone other than the publisher or distributor will be returned to the sender.
  13. There is no limit to the number of letters that can be sent to an inmate or received by an inmate as long as they comply with the BCSO Mail Policy.
  14. All rules apply to legal mail sent by the inmate's legal counsel.
  15. All PERSONAL incarcerated individual mail should be addressed as:

Incarcerated Individual Name, ID Number
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center-Barnstable
PO BOX 25555
Tampa, FL 33622

  16. All LEGAL incarcerated individual mail or publications sent to incarcerated individuals should be addressed as:

Incarcerated Individual Name, ID Number
Barnstable County Correctional Facility
6000 Sheriff's Place
Bourne, MA 02532

17.  Failure to properly address the envelope may result in your mail being returned or delayed.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Mail Policies

  1. Incarcerated individuals without the funds to purchase writing supplies and postage from the facility commissary may be provided free of charge writing paper, envelopes, and postage for three letters per week free of charge.
  2. All incoming mail will go to the Securus Digital Mail Center, where it will be digitally scanned. The incarcerated individuals will then be able to read it on their tablets. Privileged mail from attorneys or the court will only be opened by BCSO security staff in the presence of the inmate.
  3. Pictures, drawings etc. will be accepted for scanning and delivered in the same manner as long as they are no larger than 8 x 11 inches. 
  4. All physical mail will be destroyed 60 days after it is uploaded.
  5. Any person sending any personal mail that wishes to have it returned to them must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope included with the original mail.
  6. All outgoing mail is stamped to identify that it is being sent from the BCCF.
  7. Anything that cannot be scanned will be returned to sender. 
  8. Mail received after an inmate has left the BCCF will be returned to the sender.
  9. All packages and certified mail will be returned to sender.
  10. In order to ensure a safe and secure facility, the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office reserves the right to deny any and all items sent to a BCCF incarcerated individuals deemed inappropriate and/or non-compliant with BCSO policies.
  11. Any contraband, illegal or controlled substance found to be present in the correspondence will be forwarded from the processing center to a law enforcement agency for possible prosecution.
  12. Any correspondence received that does not comply with the above standards will be returned to the sender.

Please be advised the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office policies are subject to change without notice.

The BCSO reserves the right to return any mail to the sender deemed inappropriate or not in compliance with the aforesaid BCSO Mail Rules and Policies.