The Dona Ana County Detention Center

The Doña Ana County Detention Center encourages detainees to correspond with families and with their legal counsel. By establishing guidelines, the facility ensures timely mail service to detainees and at the same time maintains order and security.

Inmates may write letters as often as they wish, providing they have sufficient funds for postage. Stamps, envelopes and paper may be purchased through the commissary. For indigent inmates, three stamped envelopes and 6 pieces of writing paper are provided each month.

Inmates are not permitted to send or receive mail from other inmates confined in this or other facilities. All personal incoming mail will be opened and inspected for contraband; all outgoing mail may be opened and inspected. The only exception to the mail-inspection policy is for qualifying "legal" mail.

Reasons for Rejection(s):

• Pornographic and sexually explicit publications and photos are not allowed into the facility.
• Publications or pictures that encourage or show containers of alcohol or drug use are prohibited.
• Publications explaining/depicting the use of weapons and/or explosive devices are prohibited.
• Religious items not pre-approved by the facility's chaplain will be rejected.
• Mail received without the sender's full name and return address will be rejected.
• Envelopes that contain any type of drawings, stickers, additional writing (SWAK, XOXO, write back soon) or other writing that is not part of the sender's name and address or the detainee's address will be returned.
• Greeting cards, oversized envelopes and packages will be returned.
• Envelopes soaked with cologne or perfume will be returned.
• Envelopes that have any type of make-up or lipstick will be returned.
• Gang-related publications, symbols or drawings are prohibited.
• Mail containing money orders, cash, stamps, blank envelopes or checks will be returned.

Money orders and cashiers checks can be mailed to:

Please send only money orders or cashier's checks to this address. Letters and other items enclosed will cause the entire contents to be returned to the sender.

Money orders and cashier's checks may be hand-delivered to the Detention Center at specified times during the week:

Money orders and cashier's checks will be accepted at the front desk of the Detention Center from Noon to 1 p.m. each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Government checks may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Personal and payroll checks will not be accepted. Detention administration reserves the right to limit the amount of checks and money orders accepted into the inmate account. Checks and money orders not accepted into the inmate's account will be stored as valuable property.