Durham, NC (1/31/2023) -  When you are away from family and friends, it is important to maintain connections with the people in your life. Residents of the Durham County Detention Facility use several ways to contact the people important to them. The Durham County Sheriff's Office facilitates this communication by providing access to phones and tablets for calls and messages, and by delivering written letters and cards to those housed in the facility. 
 
Unfortunately, through the delivery of mail, the risk remains of introducing illicit drugs into detention facilities. That is why detention managers throughout the United States have had to find more creative means to stop illegal substances from reaching the incarcerated. Drugs sprayed onto a piece of paper, mixed with ink, or the glue on an envelope can be abused by the receiver, sold, or used to do harm to others inside. The sophisticated methods used to conceal the passage of drugs and the amount of mail that enters facilities like the Durham County Detention Center daily can make it difficult to contain.  
 
“It’s important to me to maintain a safe and healthy facility for those whose care and custody I am tasked with,” said Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead.  “That means not only providing resources for the men and women who reside in our facility to maintain their physical and mental health but also aiding them with issues like addiction.  Preventing illegal drugs from entering the jail is just one step in that process.” 
 
Starting in 2021, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office began a process where all mail entering the building was scanned and the scanned copy was provided to the detainee. Effective February 1 of this year, that process will move off-site and be completed by our communications vendor, Viapath. Starting that day, all personal mail will be delivered digitally to residents on tablets already in use for email and phone calls. “Streamlining this process through ViaPath will help residents get their mail faster; freeing up staff for other tasks in the facility. It’s a win-win process and we look forward to its start,” said Sheriff Birkhead.
 
Residents of the Durham County Detention Center have already been informed of this change. 
Anyone wishing to send personal mail such as letters, pictures, drawings, etc. will now need to address their correspondence to:

Durham County Detention Center, NC
Recipient Name and ID Number
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 31131
 
This address is for personal correspondence only. Legal mail, books, and packages must still be sent to the current address.  As a reminder, never send cash, checks, or money orders. 
If anyone using the mailscan system has questions, concerns, or needs to report a delivery issue contact info@TextBehind.com.