To curb the introduction of mail contraband, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office is implementing a new inmate mail delivery process at its facilities. Effective November 1, 2022,  incoming non-privileged inmate mail must be sent to Pigeonly Corrections’ mail processing center.

Each detention facility has been assigned a 4-digit mailing code. When writing an inmate, be sure to reference the mailing code listed below to ensure your mail is received by the correct detention facility.  

Inmate Name – Booking Number
Martinez Detention Facility – 1117
West County Detention Facility - 1118
Marsh Creek Detention Facility - 1119
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193

Pigeonly Corrections will operate the mail processing center. They will open all non-privileged mail and scan them into a digital color copy. The digital color copy will be printed and delivered to the respective facility. Originals will not be returned to the sender, but they will be temporarily stored then securely destroyed.

PIGEONLY MAIL GUIDELINES

 Pigeonly’s Accepted Mail Requirements

• All mail must have a return address.
• Envelopes must be no larger than 4 in. x 9½ in.
• Letters must be on paper that is no larger than 8 ½ in. x 11 in.
• Greeting Cards must be no larger than 5 in. x 7 in.
• Postcards must be 5 in. x 7 in.
• Photographs must be 4 in. x 6 in. (limit to 10 photos per parcel)

Pigeonly’s Prohibited Mail Materials

• Mail with glitter, rhinestones, stickers, or glued items.
• Greeting Cards that are electronic, have pop-ups, or are oversized.
• Photographs smaller/larger than 4 in. x 6 in.
• Photographs from 3^rd-party vendors (ex. Shutterfly)
• Unused/blank envelopes, paper, stationary, and stamps.
• Official documents.
• Bulk mail.
• Personal checks and/or cash.
   

SEND MAIL ONLINE FOR FREE WITH PIGEONLY

Sign up at www.pigeonly.com today to send mail from any cell phone, tablet, or computer. With Pigeonly’s Forever Free plan, friends and family can send a limited amount of mail for free. Visit www.pigeonly.com to create an account, which allows you to:

• Create/send letters, photos, greeting cards, postcards, and web articles
• Receive mail delivery status and related notifications

For those who still want to send physical mail through the USPS, senders can still track their mail delivery status by creating a Pigeonly account – at no cost. (Paid unlimited mail plans are available.)
 

 WHERE DO I SEND NON-PRIVILEGED MAIL?

Pigeonly will process the following non-privileged mail:

• Letters (including drawings)
• Greeting Cards
• Postcards
• 4x6 Photos (limit to 10 per parcel)
• Unbound Newsletters

Mail to (see above):

Inmate Name – Booking Number
[FACILITY NAME] – [MAILING CODE]
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193

All mail sent from inmates housed in county detention facilities must have the following information on the face of the envelope:

• The full first and last name of the inmate. Note: Religious names may also be included, but may not substitute the name under which the inmate was booked.
• The inmate's booking number.

Mail is to be sent through regular channels only.

• No Deputy Sheriff or other employee will mail outgoing mail for an inmate.

There is no limit on the number of letters an inmate may send, except as indicated below:

• Indigent inmates may send a maximum of two (2) letters per week (Monday through Sunday). There is no limit on indigent inmate legal mail.
• Inmates may have an unlimited amount of correspondents.
• Use of inmate mail for business purposes shall be only with the prior written approval of the Facility Commander.

There is no limit on the number of pages in each letter.

Inmates may send correspondence to any non-incarcerated person in any language.

Foreign nationals held in custody in Contra Costa County Sheriff's Facilities may write the diplomatic representatives of their country of origin, utilizing U.S. Mail.

• In the case of indigent foreign nationals, where regularly provided postage is insufficient to cover postage to a foreign country, Accounting will provide sufficient additional postage to cover the postal costs of such correspondence.  Indigent foreign nationals may send a maximum of two (2) letters per week (Monday-Sunday). There is no limit on indigent inmate legal mail.
• Foreign nationals needing assistance in contacting their diplomatic representative, particularly in accessing appropriate addresses or telephone numbers, shall receive assistance from the Inmate Library.

Outgoing mail will be forwarded to the U.S. Post Office within 48 hours of removal from the inmate's housing unit.

Note: Excluding weekends and holidays.

Envelopes, stamps and writing material will be purchased through commissary.

• Indigent inmates will receive correspondence materials for writing to family and friends in the indigent inmate kit through commissary.
• Envelopes, stamps and writing material may not be received through U.S. Mail.

All inmates must meet all rules and regulations for mailing letters. Mail that is not correctly addressed will be returned to the inmate for correction.

• A "Mail Watch" may be requested by the District Attorney's office and will be monitored by the Classification Unit. The Mail Watch form will be completed and maintained by the Classification Unit.
• Inmate Legal Mail may not be read for any reason.

Outgoing Mail From a Housing Unit

• Housing Unit Deputies will ensure that all outgoing mail has the inmate's full name, booking number and housing address and assignment. Housing unit Deputies will return all incomplete envelopes to inmate for correction. Magazine "pull-outs" will not be accepted for mailing. Housing unit Deputies will return all unsealed envelopes to inmates for sealing. Housing unit Deputies will return all envelopes with any writing on it other than the name and address information of the sender and receiving party.

Privileged correspondence may be opened only to inspect for contraband, and only in the presence of the inmate.

• Staff may not read privileged correspondence at any time.
• Contraband items located within privileged correspondence will result in the immediate removal of the item and, dependent on the nature of the offense, could result in the temporary hold or placement of the legal material band all legal mail together and place it in the outgoing mail bin.
• Accounting staff will place the proper amount of postage on all legal mail, placing no limit on the number of envelopes being mailed.

WHERE DO I SEND PRIVILEGED MAIL?

The following privileged and/or official documents should continue to be sent directly to the respective facility:

• Legal Mail
• Official documents:
  • Money Orders
  • Government Checks
• Printed material sent directly from publisher or commercial dealer:
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Periodicals
  • Soft-Covered Books
  • Photo Books

LEGAL MAIL

New Privileged Correspondence Policy

Effective January 3, 2023, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Detention Facilities will be implementing a new legal mail policy. Attorneys will be required to have their identities authenticated through Pigeonly Corrections to ensure all legal mail is delivered safely and without compromising attorney-client privilege. This service comes at no cost to the attorney or incarcerated client.

Create an Account to Verify Your Identity

Attorneys sign up at Pigeonly’s designated website https://privileged.pigeonlycorrections.com to begin sending legal mail. They verify their identity by entering their BAR Card information, legal practice, and government-issued ID (all verified with the appropriate State licensing and regulatory agencies).

Access Your Account Using Multi-Factor Authentication

After attorneys’ identities are verified, their web accounts are officially created. To access their accounts, attorneys use Pigeonly’s multi-factor authentication software that requires a law office-registered phone number. Each time attorneys log in, they are prompted via text to verify their identity as an added layer of security. These web accounts are always accessible online, giving attorneys access to historical correspondence with clients.

Send Mail with Secure Labels

Upon attorneys' registration approval, attorneys will have access to unique, one-time use labels available to print. These labels contain the attorney's return mail address and are encoded with a unique security barcode that will be scanned by correctional staff to verify the authenticity of legal mail parcels without breaking attorney-client privilege. When attorneys are ready to send legal documents, they go into their web account to activate their return address labels, download them, and affix them to their legal mail parcels. Attorneys must send legal mail directly from their law office to the respective Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Detention Facility.

Ready for Verification

Once the facility receives attorneys' legal mail, correctional staff will scan each parcel label to verify its authenticity without breaking attorney-client privilege. They will be able to review information such as parcel origin, attorney name, and law firm details.

BEST PRACTICES

To improve the deliverability of privileged mail items, attorneys should follow mailroom security best practices. These will help ensure your legal mail does not violate common facility policies.

• Documents should be printed on standard white paper.
• Send legal mail directly from the attorney’s office to the client via mail or hand courier.
• Avoid the use of metal or steel document binders (ex. staples, binder clips, paper clips, etc.).
• Never include non-privileged correspondence or send mail on behalf of someone else to your incarcerated client, or any other mail that is not considered legal correspondence. 

Mail to:

Martinez Detention Facility
901 Court Street
Martinez, CA 94553

West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806

Marsh Creek Detention Facility
12000 Marsh Creek Road
Clayton, CA 94517

Staff shall not permit inmates to receive any mail which:

• Contains instructions for the manufacturing of explosives, weapons, drugs, or other unlawful substances.
• Advocates, encourages, depicts, or otherwise condones violence, the use of weapons, gang related activities, or other conduct which jeopardizes jail security.
• Advocates racial, religious, or national hatred or which otherwise contains matter of a character tending to incite murder, arson, riot, or any other form of violence.
• Contains sexually explicit images that depict frontal nudity in personal photographs, drawings, magazines or other pictorial formats. Explicit Material Exceptions:
  
  
  • Departmentally purchased or acquired educational, medical/scientific or artistic material for the purpose of inclusion in facility libraries or educational areas.
  • Inmate purchased educational, medical/scientific or artistic materials, including anatomical medical references books, general practitioner reference books and or guides. National Geographic Magazines, or artistic reference material depicting historical, modern and/or post modern era art.
  • All inmate publications are subject to a case-by-case review and approval by the Custody Services Bureau Assistant Sheriff or his/her designee.
• Is oversized and not likely to reasonably fit in an inmate's personal storage drawer/bin.
• Contains Polaroid photographs.
• Has envelopes with any writing on it other than the name and address information of the sender and receiving party.
• Contains any writing/drawing in crayon, marker or colored pencils.
• Contains any stains or unidentifiable marks.

Inmates are not allowed to correspond:

• From facility to facility within Contra Costa County (inter-facility)
• To other inmates within the same facility (intra-facility)
• To other inmates at any other facility (county or state) outside Contra Costa County.

Inmates may not use the United State Postal Service or any other third party to facilitate writing to each other while incarcerated.

Martinez Detention Facility
901 Court Street
Martinez, CA  94553

West County Detention Facility
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA  94806

Marsh Creek Detention Facility
12000 Marsh Creek Road
Clayton, CA  94517

I'm a formerly incarcerated individual and want access to all my scanned mail pieces. Can I get a copy of them?

After release, formerly incarcerated individuals can email support@pigeon.ly with their name/ID number to download their scanned mail items for free.