Personal letters go to Longview, TX for scanning. Legal mail goes to the Bryson City address. Use the SO number on every envelope.
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Swain County Detention Center routes personal mail through a scanning center in Longview, Texas. Letters you send do not go directly to the jail in Bryson City. Instead, they go to the Texas address where the mail is scanned and delivered digitally to the person inside. Legal mail, money orders, and book orders go to the Bryson City P.O. Box directly. Using the wrong address for the wrong type of mail will cause delays. Read the address rules below carefully before you send anything.
Swain County Detention Center uses a mail scanning system for personal correspondence. This is a common setup at county jails across North Carolina and the country. Your letters and photos are sent to a facility in Longview, Texas, where they are scanned. The digital image is then delivered to the person inside. The physical mail stays in Texas.
Do not send personal letters to the Bryson City address. They will not be forwarded. Use the Texas address for anything personal: letters, postcards, and photos.
Use the Bryson City address only for: legal mail, money orders, books, newspapers, and magazines.
[Inmate Full Legal Name, SO#]
Swain County Detention Center
PO Box 591
Longview, TX 75606
Write the person’s full legal name exactly as it appears in the jail’s records. After the name, include their SO number (booking number). If you do not have the SO number, use the inmate search guide to find it.
Write your own full name and return address on the back of the envelope.
[Inmate Full Legal Name, SO#]
Swain County Detention Center
P.O. Box 1398
Bryson City, NC 28713
Use this address for:
You can include one photo per envelope with your letter. The photo goes through the same scanning process as the letter. Here are the rules:
Because the mail is scanned, the person inside receives a digital image of the photo, not the physical print. If you want them to have a physical photo, use a service like Pigeonly, which prints and mails photos directly to the jail. Search at pigeon.ly/search.
Books must be ordered from an approved retailer and shipped directly to the jail’s Bryson City address. You cannot hand-deliver a book or mail one from home.
Approved retailers include:
Additional book rules:
Ship books to:
[Inmate Full Legal Name, SO#]
Swain County Detention Center
P.O. Box 1398
Bryson City, NC 28713
Newspapers and magazines must be sent directly from the publisher or through a subscription service. You cannot clip and mail articles or mail a magazine from your home.
Content rules:
Subscriptions are the easiest way to get regular publications to someone inside. The publisher mails each issue directly to the Bryson City address.
Legal mail from attorneys and courts is handled differently from personal mail. It goes to the Bryson City P.O. Box and is opened in front of the person inside, not in a back room. This protects attorney-client privilege.
If you are an attorney sending legal correspondence, mark the envelope clearly: “LEGAL MAIL: ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED.” Include your bar number and law firm address on the envelope.
If legal mail appears to have been opened before it reaches the person, they should report it to their attorney immediately.
Do not send cash through the mail. Cash is contraband. If you want to put money on the person’s account, use Inmate Canteen for commissary or NCIC for phone calls. See the send money guide.
If the facility accepts money orders by mail, they go to the Bryson City P.O. Box. Call (828) 488-0159 to confirm current money order policies before sending.
Mail that does not follow the rules may be:
The person inside will typically be notified if their mail is rejected. If you sent something and they say they never received it, call (828) 488-0159 during office hours (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday) to ask about the status.
Because personal letters are scanned in Texas before delivery, the person inside may receive them digitally within 1 to 3 business days of the letter arriving at the Texas facility. Physical mail transit from your location to Longview, TX adds 2 to 5 postal days depending on where you are mailing from. Total time from when you drop the letter in the mailbox to when they see it is typically 3 to 7 days.
Legal mail and books sent to Bryson City go through standard mail transit and are delivered on the facility’s mail schedule.
The easiest way to send photos and letters to someone at Swain County Detention Center is through Pigeonly. Upload your photos or write your letter online, and Pigeonly prints and mails everything to the facility for you, following the mail rules listed above.
6 of 13 questions
Personal letters go to: [Inmate Full Legal Name, SO#], Swain County Detention Center, PO Box 591, Longview, TX 75606. This is a mail scanning center, not the jail itself. Do not send personal letters to the Bryson City address.
MailLegal mail, money orders, books, and newspapers go to: [Inmate Full Legal Name, SO#], Swain County Detention Center, P.O. Box 1398, Bryson City, NC 28713.
MailSwain County uses a mail scanning service. Your letter is mailed to a processing center in Longview, TX, where it is scanned. The digital image is then delivered to the person inside. This lets the facility check mail for contraband without handling physical letters.
MailYes, one photo per envelope. No Polaroids, no explicit content, no images promoting violence or drugs. Because the mail is scanned, the person receives a digital image of the photo, not the physical print.
MailMaximum 5 pages per envelope. Include only one photo. Use blue or black ink. Write your full name and return address on the back of the envelope.
MailYes, but it must be shipped directly from a retailer (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or BAM) to the Bryson City P.O. Box. No hardcover. No adult content. You cannot mail a book from home.
MailYes, but it must come directly from the publisher or a subscription service. No adult content. You cannot clip and mail articles or send a magazine from your home.
MailNo. Cash is contraband. Use Inmate Canteen for commissary or NCIC for phone accounts. See the send money guide for both options.
MailYes. Include the person's full legal name and their SO number (booking number) on every piece of mail. Mail without the correct SO number can be delayed or returned.
MailPersonal letters are typically received digitally within 3 to 7 days of mailing: 2 to 5 postal days to reach the Texas scanning center, plus 1 to 3 business days for scanning and delivery.
MailMail that violates the rules may be returned, held, or discarded. The person inside is usually notified. If they say they never received something, call (828) 488-0159 during office hours to ask about the status.
MailLegal mail from attorneys goes to the Bryson City P.O. Box and is opened in front of the person inside to protect attorney-client privilege. Mark the envelope clearly as attorney-client privileged and include your bar number.
MailYes. Services like Pigeonly print and mail photos directly to the facility, which means the person may receive a physical print instead of a digital scan. Search at pigeon.ly/search.
MailSend food and goods instead of cash. Max $125 per order.
View ArticleGet the SO number you need to address mail correctly.
View ArticleSchedule a free on-site video visit or a remote visit from home.
View ArticleSet up NCIC so the person can call you at $0.21 per minute.
View ArticleSearch for your loved one and start sending photos, letters, and messages today.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified July 7, 2026.