Personal mail goes through TextBehind in Phoenix MD, not directly to the facility. Include the OPUS number or your mail may not reach them.
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NC state prisons, including Wake Correctional Center, route personal mail through TextBehind, a mail processing service in Maryland. You address personal letters and photos to a TextBehind P.O. Box in Phoenix, MD, not to the facility address in Raleigh. Books and publications are the exception: those ship directly to the facility. Legal mail also goes directly to Wake and bypasses TextBehind. Every piece of mail must include the person’s full legal name and NC OPUS number.
Most NC state prisons, including Wake Correctional Center, use TextBehind to process incoming personal mail. When you send a letter or photo to Wake, it goes to TextBehind’s facility in Maryland first. TextBehind scans the contents, checks for prohibited material, and delivers a digital or printed copy to the person at Wake.
Your letter does not travel directly from your mailbox to Raleigh. It routes through Phoenix, MD first. That is normal and expected for NC state prisons.
Send personal letters and photos to this address:
[Full Legal Name] #[OPUS Number]
Wake Correctional Center
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Put each element on its own line exactly as shown. The OPUS number goes on the same line as the person’s name. Leave it off and your mail may not reach them.
Your return address must include your full first and last name. Do not use initials.
Find the OPUS number with the NC OPI inmate search if you do not have it.
After TextBehind receives your letter or photo, staff scan and review the contents. Prohibited items are rejected. Approved content is processed and forwarded to the person at Wake. Processing typically takes a few business days from when TextBehind receives your envelope.
TextBehind holds the original mail for 30 days. After 30 days, originals are shredded. If you want the original returned, you can request it for a $2.50 fee.
You will not receive delivery confirmation by default. If the person has not mentioned receiving something after about a week, check on it during your next call or visit.
Books, magazines, and other publications do not go through TextBehind. Send them directly to:
[Full Legal Name] #[OPUS Number]
Wake Correctional Center
1000 Rock Quarry Road
Raleigh, NC 27610
Books must come from an approved publisher or retailer, not by hand. Order from a publisher, Amazon, or another approved retailer and ship directly to the facility address above. Do not bring books in person or mail them yourself in a personal envelope.
Legal mail from attorneys, courts, or government agencies does not go through TextBehind. Send legal mail directly to:
[Full Legal Name] #[OPUS Number]
Wake Correctional Center
1000 Rock Quarry Road
Raleigh, NC 27610
Legal mail is treated separately. It is typically opened in the presence of the person rather than scanned and forwarded. If you are an attorney sending privileged correspondence, contact the facility at (919) 733-7988 to confirm the current procedure. Note: that number is unconfirmed. Verify it is current.
You can include photos in personal mail sent through TextBehind. Follow these guidelines:
Keep photos simple and personal. Family snapshots on standard photo paper are the safest choice.
TextBehind and NC DAC will reject mail that contains:
If rejected, the mail is not delivered to the person. You may or may not receive notice that a piece of mail was rejected.
TextBehind requires a complete return address with your full first and last name. Do not use initials only. Mail without a complete return address may be rejected.
If TextBehind or the facility rejects a piece of mail, the contents may be returned, held, or destroyed depending on the reason. NC DAC may notify the person that mail was rejected, but there is no guaranteed process for notifying the sender.
If you believe a piece of mail was wrongly rejected, contact the facility at (919) 733-7988 after the fact. Note: that number is unconfirmed.
Do not put money in a letter. Money sent through the mail will not reach the person’s account. Use ConnectNetwork to send money electronically or by money order to TouchPay.
The easiest way to send photos and letters to someone at Wake Correctional 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 12 questions
Personal mail goes through TextBehind: [Full Legal Name, OPUS Number] / Wake Correctional Center / P.O. Box 247 / Phoenix, MD 21131. Books go directly to 1000 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610. Legal mail goes to the facility directly.
MailNC state prisons use TextBehind to process incoming personal mail. Your letter goes to TextBehind's facility in Phoenix, MD, where it is scanned and reviewed before being delivered to Wake. This is standard for NC state prisons.
MailYes. Always put the person's full legal name and OPUS number on the address line. Without the OPUS number, your mail may not reach them. Find the OPUS number with the NC OPI search at webapps.doc.state.nc.us/opi/offendersearch.do?method=view.
MailYes. Photos can be included in personal mail sent through TextBehind. No nudity, weapons, drugs, alcohol, gang symbols, or coded messages. Standard photo paper and personal family photos are the safest choice. You can also send photos through Pigeonly, which prints and mails them for you.
MailBooks and publications go directly to Wake, not through TextBehind. Address them to [Full Legal Name, OPUS Number], Wake Correctional Center, 1000 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610. They must come from a publisher or approved retailer, not mailed by hand.
MailLegal mail goes directly to the facility, not through TextBehind: [Full Legal Name, OPUS Number], Wake Correctional Center, 1000 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610. Contact the facility at (919) 733-7988 to confirm the current procedure for privileged legal correspondence. Note: that number is unconfirmed.
MailNo. Stamps and cash are not allowed in letters to NC state prisons. They will be rejected. Use ConnectNetwork to send money to the person's account.
MailTextBehind holds the original for 30 days and then shreds it. You can request the original returned to you for a $2.50 fee before the 30 days are up.
MailAllow a few business days after TextBehind receives your envelope for processing and delivery. Total time depends on postal transit to Maryland plus processing time.
MailYour full first and last name, plus your street address. Do not use initials only. Mail without a complete return address may be rejected.
MailPlain greeting cards are generally accepted. Musical greeting cards (cards that play sound) and pop-up cards (with 3D paper elements) are not allowed.
MailIf a piece of mail is rejected by TextBehind or the facility, the contents may be returned, held, or destroyed. Contact the facility at (919) 733-7988 if you believe a rejection was in error. Note: that number is unconfirmed.
MailStay connected by phone while you wait for your letter to arrive.
View ArticleFund their commissary account through ConnectNetwork.
View ArticleGet the OPUS number you need before addressing any mail.
View ArticleSchedule a weekend visit by appointment.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified July 8, 2026.