Correspondence For Inmates
ALL CORRESPONDENCE FOR INMATES SHALL BE MAILED TO
Inmate Mail
Bergen County Jail
P.O. Box 0369
Hackensack, N.J. 07601-0369
To ensure the safety and security of the inmates and staff all inmate mail received at the Sheriff’s Office is subject to inspection. A publication such as magazines, newspapers, and books shall only be accepted when shipped directly from the publisher.
Correspondences not permitted are:
- Correspondence or publication contains material which is detrimental to the security and/or order of the Bergen County Jail because it incites violence based upon race, religion, creed, or nationality and a reasonable inference can be drawn, based upon the experience and professional expertise of correctional administrators that it may result in the outbreak of violence within the facility.
- Correspondence or publication contains information regarding:
a) Explosives, Weapons, Controlled dangerous substances, Escape plans, Lock picking or locking devices, or Anything deemed to constitute an immediate threat to the security or orderly operation of the Bergen County Jail
- Correspondence or publication contains information which appears to be written in code.
- Correspondence or publication that contains information concerning activities within or outside the Bergen County Jail which would be subject to criminal prosecution under the laws of State of New Jersey or the United States.
- Correspondence or publication that may incites violence or destructive or disruptive behavior towards:
a) Law enforcement officers, Office of the Bergen County Sheriff or contract vendor’s personnel, Facility inmates/detainees, visitors and/or volunteers, Facility programs or procedures
- Correspondence or publication contains material which, based upon the experience and professional expertise of correctional administrators and judged in the context of the Bergen County Jail and its paramount interest in security, order and rehabilitation:
a) Taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest in sex, Lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, and depicts, in a patently offensive way, actual or simulated sexual conduct including patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual acts, masturbation, excretory functions, lewd exhibition of the genitals, sadism, masochism or bestiality.
All items that do not meet the criteria will be deemed contraband and destroyed and disposed of properly Items will not be stored or returned.
Inmate correspondence, other than legal correspondence, shall be photocopied.
Items must come from point of sale no third-party vendors No hardcover books. Items containing foil or metal of any type, glass, wood, plastic, rubber, hair, leaves, flowers, paperclips, staples, jewelry, White-Out, colored paper, tracing paper, heavy art paper, glitter, confetti, stickers, tape, glue, paint, or watercolors.
Any items written, drawn on, or marked in any way with crayon, chalk, markers, colored pencils, or other types of art medium.
Any item that contains an unknown substance, odor or stain, including but not limited to:
lipstick, perfume, cologne, or glue. photographs larger than 4 X 6, Polaroid or other instamatic photographs nude or indecent photographs, pictures, drawings, etc.; any item coated in plastic, stamps, envelopes, plain paper, plain lined paper musical greeting cards, personal checks, anything deemed to be a weapon, implement of escape or suspected, Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS);
All items that do not meet the criteria will be deemed contraband and destroyed and disposed of properly Items will not be stored or returned.
To ensure the safety and security of all the inmates and staff all the mail received at the Sheriff’s Office for inmates is subject to inspection. Publications such as magazines, newspapers, and books shall only be accepted when shipped directly from the publisher. Correspondences containing certain types of information as listed below are not allowed within the jail facility. The items are:
- Correspondence or publication contains material which is detrimental to the security and/or order of the Bergen County Jail because it incites violence based upon race, religion, creed or nationality and a reasonable inference can be drawn, based upon the experience and professional expertise of correctional administrators that it may result in the outbreak of violence within the facility.
- Correspondence or publication contains information regarding:
- Explosives
- Weapons
- Controlled dangerous substances
- Escape plans
- Lock picking or locking devices
- Anything deemed to constitute an immediate threat to the security or orderly operation of the Bergen County Jail
- Correspondence or publication contains information which appears to be written in code.
- Correspondence or publication that contains information concerning activities within or outside the Bergen County Jail which would be subject to criminal prosecution under the laws of State of New Jersey or the United States.
- Correspondence or publication that may incites violence or destructive or disruptive behavior towards:
- Law enforcement officers
- Office of the Bergen County Sheriff or contract vendor’s personnel
- Facility inmates/detainees, visitors and/or volunteers
- Facility programs or procedures
- Correspondence or publication contains material which, based upon the experience and professional expertise of correctional administrators and judged in the context of the Bergen County Jail and its paramount interest in security, order and rehabilitation:
- Taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest in sex
- Lacks, as a whole, serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, and depicts, in a patently offensive way, actual or simulated sexual conduct including patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual acts, masturbation, excretory functions, lewd exhibition of the genitals, sadism, masochism or bestiality.
Online Commissary Package
SecurePak is available through Keefe Commissary Network and allows Friends and Family to send a Care Package to an incarcerated individual.
Each eligible inmate is allowed 2 packages per month totaling no more than $100 in product.
Inmate Trust and Telephone Account Funding
Accounts may be funded by Web Deposit, Onsite Kiosk Deposit or Money Order Inmate Trust Account –Allows money to be used for Commissary, Telephone calls, or funding Tablet Time.
Inmate Telephone Account – Only allows funds to be used for telephone calls this money is nontransferable.
Refunds may be issued only to the Depositor by contacting Viapath (GTL) at 1-866-516-0115.
Inmate Tablet funding and Video Visiting
Create an Account to fund Inmate tablet accounts and participate in Video Visitation. Funding of tablets for Inmates – Only allows funds to be used for tablet activities and video visits this money is nontransferable
Refunds may be issued only to the Depositor by contacting Viapath (GTL) at 1-866-516-0115
*Press 1 for deposits and then 0 to speak with a customer service representative to request a refund
Inmate In person Visit Scheduling
All visitors are subject to search.
Inappropriate behavior will result in your visit will be terminated, and your privilege being suspended.
Visits may be canceled at any time without notice due to Institutional Concerns or Emergencies
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Inmate Information
The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office strives to provide inmates entrusted to its custody with all the protections and rights afforded to them by the America’s legal traditions and due process. As such, the Office permits inmates access to various legal, medical, religious and social professionals as an inmate’s needs require.
Attorneys, interpreters, clergy and medical or social professionals who desire to visit with a specific inmate must follow the following procedures:
- Professional access to inmates will be permitted in the jail from 7:00 A.M. through 9:30 P.M. 7 days a week. All visits are subject to approval by the Tour Commander on duty.
- Upon arrival, professionals will be asked to give their name and provide proper identification, such as a Bergen County Sheriff-issued identification card, Attorney Bar Association card, Motor Vehicle License or Medical License, to the Reception Officer on duty.
- All persons entering the secure area of the Bergen County Jail must deposit cell phones, coats, keys, tobacco products and any other prohibited items in the lockers provided. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN FINES AND CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
- While visiting an inmate, only soft sided file folders are permitted within the jail The inmate may not be given anything other than legal papers.
- Items such as money, pens, highlighters, paper clips, jewelry, matches, lighters, cigarettes and chewing gum are considered contraband and are strictly prohibited.