Quick facts

System

Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC)

Inmate ID

DOC number

General mail goes to

TextBehind — Phoenix, MD

Recipient receives

Photocopies (color when the original has color)

Page limit

No published page-count cap; TextBehind processes multi-page mail

Processing timing

TextBehind copies within ~24 hours (Mon–Fri); copies then ship to WI institutions via USPS

Originals

Shredded ~30 days after scanning

Facility name

Full correctional facility name required — do not abbreviate

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Include your return name and address, the person’s full first and last name, DOC number, and the full facility name. Incomplete envelopes are returned unopened. Mail sent to the prison instead of TextBehind will be returned to you.

[Full First and Last Name] [DOC Number]
[Full Correctional Facility Name — do not abbreviate]
P.O. Box 189
Phoenix, MD 21131

Send to the facility instead — not TextBehind

• Legal mail → Facility legal-mail address

  Clearly identifiable legal correspondence from attorneys, courts, elected officials, and other parties listed in DOC policy. TextBehind will not open or process legal mail — it is forwarded to the institution.

• Medical / privileged mail → Facility address

  Mail from health providers or medical agencies with an identifiable, verifiable return address. Also includes absentee ballots, IRS correspondence, and PREA/ICRS mail per DOC definitions.

• Books, magazines, newspapers, subscriptions → Facility street address (publisher or vendor)

  Periodicals and publications are not photocopied at TextBehind. Order from the publisher or an approved vendor and ship directly to the prison with name + DOC number.

• Packages / property → Facility (approved vendor catalogs only)

  Property must be purchased from approved vendor catalogs and shipped from retail with a receipt. Do not send packages to TextBehind.

Format & content rules

• Non-privileged personal mail — letters, greeting cards, photos, religious materials, correspondence-course pages, and printed PDF pages — must go to TextBehind at P.O. Box 189, Phoenix, MD 21131.
• Always include a complete return address with your name, the person’s full name, DOC number, and the full (unabbreviated) facility name. Envelopes missing any of this may be returned unopened.
• The incarcerated person receives photocopies, not originals. Color originals (drawings, birthday cards, photos) are copied in color. Originals are shredded about 30 days after scanning — do not send irreplaceable originals.
• Individual loose photos are accepted; photobooks and photo albums are not. TextBehind may place up to four photos on one 8½″ × 11″ sheet — that sheet counts as one photo. If any photo on the page is denied, the whole page is denied.
• Greeting cards must have a smooth, scannable surface. Musical, pop-up, glitter, multi-thickness, or glued-on cards are not allowed and will not be copied.
• Do not enclose cash, gift cards, personal checks, or money with mail. Use Access Corrections for deposits.
• Business mail and newsletters normally sent to DOC institutions through USPS also go to TextBehind. Early contract FAQs mention newsletters “up to 5 pages” as a guideline, but TextBehind will process mail with more than five pages when sent to the TextBehind address.
• Content can still be withheld under DOC policy if it threatens security or otherwise violates rules.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in DOC custody and look up their DOC number and facility.
2. Address to TextBehind with full name + DOC number and the complete facility name (no abbreviations).
3. Put your return name and address on the envelope.
4. Keep the packet to scannable letter-size pages — no photobooks, packages, or cash.

Look up a DOC number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Wisconsin, we use the TextBehind address and collect the full facility name.
• We do not review PDFs — DOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• Wisconsin DOC — Money, Mail & Property
• Wisconsin DOC — Mail scanning FAQ (PDF)
• Wisconsin DOC — Mail contract FAQ (PDF)
• Wisconsin DOC Offender Locator