Something very unusual is going on with me and Corey. Okay, we write eachother at least two to three times a week, and it only takes two to three days for us to receive eachother's letters. So last week I mailed him off a letter Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing that he would get them at least by Friday or Saturday. All this week I hadn't received a response from either of the letters that I wrote him so I knew something was wrong. Then today I get a letter from Corey and he was all worried and concerned because he said that he hadn't received any responses to the letters that he wrote me and wanted to know what was going on with me, so that means he never got my letters! Then I remember in one of the letters I said it's good that he is standing tall to the warden in order to get his visiting privileges reinstated back to him, because in his letter this is what he was telling me he was doing. I also referred to the warden in a rude manner, so I'm assuming that maybe a c/o or the warden himself got a hold of that letter and read it, and out of spite they are throwing away any mail that I send to Corey. I just hope and pray this is not the case, but I was just wondering is it typical for the mailroom to actually read the contents of the letters being sent to inmates? I mean I know that they have to check the mail for any foreign substances or material, but I didn't know that they would read the letters, don't the inmates get some type of privacy in there? I'm still kinda new to the correctional system, so I don't know how they go about doing certain things. I just hope that I receive a letter from Corey saying that he has gotten my letters, because I have sent more since those last two letters and still haven't gotten a response. :confused:

FROM MY EXPERIENCE YES THEY DO READ THE MAIL WE SEND IN. TERRANCE WENT THROUGH A SPELL WHERE HE DIDNT GET ANY MAIL FROM ME AND WHEN HE STARTED WRITING THEM UP ON IT THEY GAVE IT TO HIM. WHY THEY KEPT IT I DONT KNOW BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING IN THEM. BUT I WOULD SAY YES THEY READ THEM AND THATS WHY HE HASNT GOTTEN THEM

I can only respond with what I know with my Partners situation in MO.

Yes, they can and will read the mail but from my experience they do not read the 'content' unless you are on the radar screen for something. We have never personally had any delays in mail coming or going...

MO is pretty strict about only 5 pages of non-letter material but I have copied and pasted pages and pages of information and articles into what looks like a letter and it goes through. If however I insert separate pages it gets counted and if there is too much they send it back.

Yes, they are mostly looking for contraband so that is why a lot of prisons do not allow stickers and/or stamps or certain types of cards...

I also think and have heard of many situations where mail is just held for no apparent reason. I know of one member here that was receiving letters from her man for a month asking why she was not writing??? She had written every day and then all of a sudden at the 30 day mark he got 30+ letters all at once. There was a block on her phone so she could not talk to him and explain that she was writing... It was tearing her apart that he was writing thinking that she was not...

You just have to go with the flow here and have patience.

Now, someone may correct me on this but unless you are specifically writing about something that is illegal or would tip off a situation... I don't think that they can NOT deliver the mail eventually. They may hold it to be read but I don't think that they can not deliver it sometime.

Usually, they only read the mail of known gang members. They do not have time to sit there and read every piece of mail that comes through the mailroom. If they did that, our loved ones wouldn't get their mail for months:) There's just too much volume. They do scan through the mail. I don't think Corey has anything to worry about unless he is a confirmed gang member or a security threat. And believe me, the wardens could care less what you or anybody else thinks about them :)
I'm sure everything will be fine, maybe the mailroom person was out sick and there was a delay in the mail. It happens all the time. I'm sure the mail will be back on schedule soon.
Good luck!! And believe me, everyone here has experienced the dreaded mailroom problem :)
diane

I have no idea for sure, but there is definitely something funny. Usually my brother gets his letters in about a week. Then, one day he suddenly got a whole bunch that was almost a month old.

Thanks guys, I'm really hoping that it's just a careless delay such as the mailroom lady being sick or something, but I will definitely keep writing him until I get a response from him saying that he's gotten all of my letters.

They do read some mail....especially if they suspect something...Theres a lot of reasons why it could have been held up....mail room ppl being off, holidays, etc.

sometimes I think if they don't finish the mail today....they put tomorrows on top of it so sometimes our letters get stuck at the bottom of the pile.

My husband and I have a mail system that seems to work....
I put a code at the end of my letter and on a back corner of the envelope. I use a simple code....the month and # of letter...the first letter in May will be 1may, then 2 may, etc.

this way my husband knows if a letter did not arrive.

mrs. d

In theory, they are to shake it, sniff it, and glance at it long enough to see if an escape map is ascribed anywhere on it.
They are not to make off with it to their lair unless under order from Internal Affairs, or with an actual search/siezure warrant in hand.
They would read it if (as above) that 'informal' investigation is underway...
In some cases it's just the math...
Prison has 1100 people in population. On a given day, the folks who get none are balanced by the ones who get a handful. The time a given 'mail' officer or officers spend treading through each letter (the one ahead of your's) is exponential. The Mail officer's can also be splitting their day with doing processing of home/vendor boxes, and or can get pulled for escort or chase car for someone(s) going to be transported on medical or court outings... Mail people are disposable in that regard.
If they've got those happy white boxes of incoming all around them, and duty has called elsewhere or they are just innundated with stuff to do --meticulously-- it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the last 12 boxes don't get searched, and therefore don't get distributed. Then you're working on the DGR schedule.. They'd get to them when they are DamnedGood-n-Ready.

Magazines, letters, postcards, in godknows how many different languages which they MUST think are code...., boxes and any other chiefcook/bottlewash duty they can be tapped for-- is how these people spend their day.

Just some food for thought.
Oh, and PS... "Never write down anything that you wouldn't want to read in the Post"... (or paper in your neighborhood.)

THEY CAN READ IT, SHAKE IT, SMELL IT, NOT DELIVER IT, FORGET TO DELIVER IT FOR A WEEK , LOSE IT, TAKE STUFF OUT OF IT, SEND IT BACK! WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE! IT'S THEIR WORLD!

yes, they read the mail. Some of them have nothing better to do. I have to write the number of pages I put in an envelope and date. Some how pages end up missing and oops they forgot to write a rejection. I once wrote to someone who was in prison and her boyfriend was in jail on charges and lo behold the police were calling me to see if I knew anything about his crime and reading me parts of the letter that the MDOC faxed to them.

well if they do read the mail here in texas, i hope they get a kick out of some of the stories that i send to ken

:D ;) :p

terri

I know they are reading my mail going into him. I get his mail every 2 days and he has to wait 5-6 days to get any from me........which makes him totally stressed out.

Yes they read the mail. They also tape all of the phone calls and save the tapes for a minimum of two years in case they need to refer back to them for anything. Alot of people don't know that.

I try not to think about it when I write but I think that they do read the mail. I don't let that fact take away from me and anthony's relationship though. It get's mad stressfull at times though.

I am a former co, and the mail room officers open and examine all mail. They do not read all of it, but at random they will read letters at random "just for kicks". Most of the idiots that do this have no business of their own, so they want to be in everyone else's. I resigned, and the inmate I am engaged to was transfered. Shane's brother is still at Hays, and they read all his incoming mail. They harass him constantly about me and Shane. They will call me and say things that came out of his letter. I resigned in Jan 2003, and this is still going on now even though Shane and I are both gone. It is childish, pathetic behavior but the Gdc is so screwed up that there is nothing I can do. Also, if an inmate is locked down pending investigation for anything, they always read their mail. They can keep if it they choose to, and there is nothing that can be done because they say it's part of the investigation. Alot of officers throw away the mail if it is for an inmate they do not like, and there is no way to prove this. The system sucks, and I feel for these inmates so much. After working there for three years, I see that they have so few pleasures in life. Their mail is their window to the outside. I wish everyone could see them when they know it's time for mail call. It's truly heartbreaking the happiness they get from simply receiving a letter. So, how could someone take that from them for no reason at all? I am sure this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I just wanted you to know what really goes on. If anyone knows anything we can do about this, let me know and I am with you.

The mail is screwy right at this moment.
They say they do read the out going mail, but not all units do. Some units just read the in coming mail. Please keep in mind though with all that they are finding in the mail, the mail is going to be screwy

Well if they do read mail I'm sure they read the last letter I sent my on's father. On the envelope I called him an a**hole and told him to go to hell. I'm sure anyone would be curious after reading something like that. I'm not even madd. I wanted everyone even the mail man to know what an a**hole he is.Normally though when I wwrite letters I try not to discuss his case or past or anything that they can hold against him. Hey they can't punish him for being a jerk to me.

You guys it's Friday and I still haven't received a letter from Corey! Thanks for the insight Belle2000, because currently Corey is on lockdown for an incident that happened a while back with him and another inmate, and after reading what you said there isn't a doubt in my mind that they've read my letters and just threw them away, but it's all good. Once he's able to call me I'll explain to him the situation, because now he probably thinks that I'm just not writing him and that's not the case.

Yearning Soul, I am quite positive that is what is happening now that you said he was locked down due to an incident with another inmate. He probably hasn't received your letters, but if by chance he has, they are holding his outgoing mail. They always do, yet they never bother to tell the inmate or his family. I recommend calling his counselor, and tell them the situation. Tell them that you have been writing as normal, but you have not heard from him and you are very worried. Almost all counselor's that I have worked with and dealt with regarding Shane have been extremly helpful. At the very least, they will check on him and let you know he is okay. I am not sure about Corey's prison, but at Hays and Calhoun the inmate only gets one phone call per month when locked down. It's like pulling teeth to get the officer to even let him make his one call. It is the officer's job to get him that phone, yet they act like it's such an inconvinience. I apologize on behalf of the good officers out there. I know there are some, because I was one. These immature idiots they hire give cos a bad name, but don't give up! There really are people who care and are willing to help you and Corey during his incarceration. Keep your head up! I am here if I can help in any way!:wave:

You know Belle2000 I thought about calling up to his prison (he's in Evans Correctional Institute in SC by the way) to see if I could speak to someone in the mailroom about this but I figured all they would do was beat around the bush with me and would be no help, but you say I can call his counselor? I didn't know they had a couselor you could call to check up on them, I will definitely be sure to do that first thing Monday morning, i'm assuming they don't take care of stuff like that on the weekends, do you know? And me and Corey are still in the process of trying to get me on his phone list, he sent me the form about a month ago and I filled it out and sent it off, but he hasn't called me yet. I called my phone company to make sure that they were a service provider for his prison but they weren't, so I had to call his prison, get the number to the phone company who is there service provider and open up an account with him so he would be able to call, so now all I can do is wait desperately for his phone call! And he did mention to me that he would be able to call once a month since he's on lockdown, I'm just wondering when during the month can he call. I hope it's at the end of the month so that there's a possibility that he may call sometimes soon. I just really need to hear from him. Thanks for your advice and support also:)

Call his counselor for sure first thing Monday morning! If you do not know his specific counselor's name, ask to speak wit the chief counselor. Explain to them what is going on, and he/she will either find out for you or connect you with his counselor. The counselors handle everything like this, including mail. Calling the mailroom is pointless. They will either flat out lie to you, or they will give you a complete run around for as long as you let them. The counselors do the visitation lists and phone lists, and any grievances go through the counselor. When you and Corey finally get in contact, tell him he needs to file a grievance on all this. This is crazy that they are treating ya'll this way. I am not sure how long you said Corey had been down, but if he has never filed a grievance before I will be glad to help ya'll. The DOC generally does not put up with this type of treatment, but you have to make sure it goes to the top so they know. The particular prison will try to smooth it over there once a grievance is filed. When they see that the inmate isn't going to put up with it, they sing a new tune. You just don't know the trouble they have put Shane and I through. :argh I'll have to tell you all about it one day! As far as the phone calls, at Hays there was no certain day of the month. When the officers weren't doing anything, the inmate would ask for the phone. The log book would be checked, and if the inmate had not made a call that month, the phone would be brought to him. Well, that is how it was supposed to work. Usually the co was too lazy to put his book down and get up, so he would not run the phone. When the inmates would complain to the supervisor, the supervisor would either back the officer or the officer would log down that he did call. It is just crazy. I let them make as many calls as they wanted as long as I wasn't truly busy and they didn't give me a hard time. When he does call, remember always that it is recorded, and they do listen! If you get a counselor that is sympathetic, he may bring Corey to the office and let him make a quick call just to let you know he is okay. I may be able to help you on this, also. They are not there on weekends, but do call first thing Monday. See what you can get out of the counselor, and let me know. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that this works. I know exactly how you are feeling right now. However, if they give you the slightest runaround, let me know asap, and we move on to plan B. If there is one thing I learned being a co, it's how to play the system instead of it playing you. PM or email me anytime you need anything, but let me know for sure Monday. I am anxious already. If I can help atleast one person with what I learned from those jerks, it was all worth it. GOOD LUCK GIRL!

All prisons do read mail. Both incomming and outgoing... But, unless they have a reason to believe that the person writing in is a harm to the prison, they will only scan incomming mail.. During a problem that Butch has had with a former employee of the DOC, they now read all his incomming mail... I have had some letters returned to me because of some of the content.... If you know there is no problem, then don't worry too much about what you say... Just keep if from sounding like to want to take him out of that place... That is a real no no...

Love Ya and hope this works out... Butch is 250 miles and I write to him once each week... He receives them once each week... It take 2 days to go in the mail and 2 days for them to check it and take it to him... It has sometimes been a little longer than that.

Donna

Yearning Soul, i have called and spoken to the mail room before. Sometimes they are helpful and will dig out his mail and get it right to him. Sometimes they just say they will look for it.

Belle2000, I am so thankful for your support and helping hand! An ex-c/o, you're just the person that I need to guide and help me through my hard times and frustration with the correctional system! And that's a shame how the c/os at Shane's prison give them such a hard time just to make one lousy phone call a month, and then when they try to exercise their rights, they spitefully mark down in the log book that they've already made a call for that month, that's just awful! Before Corey knew that he had to send me a telephone privilege request form, I had sent him my phone number because he said that he would ask the c/o if he could use the phone to call me real quick, but they wouldn't let him, so I know how ignorant they could be just to let them use the phone. And you say that he could file a grievance for them doing this to us? When he calls I will mention this to him, thank you for the helpful suggestion. Now that they're preventing us from receiving mail from eachother I am very worried that they are gonna try and find a way to stop him from calling me! I don't even know if I have been added to his phone list yet because he hasn't written me to let me know that he received any approved notification, I just took it upon myself today to call the phone company and make sure that he could get through once everything goes through. Once I talk to his counselor Monday I will pm you to let you know what's the word on everything, and I hope that the counselor is a nice one that wouldn't mind letting Corey calling me for a quick minute so we can touch basis about everything, we have been corresponding through mail for the past five months without ever speaking on the phone to eachother, so I really need to speak to him. Once again I thank you for your concern! And I will let you know what's going on as soon as I find out, I hope I receive a letter from him tomorrow, oh well, guess I'll just have to wait and see. THANK YOU!

I sent you a pm......

Flygirlaa2 if nothing transpires from speaking with his counselor I think I'll call the mailroom of his prison to see if they will let me know if they have the letters or not, although I seriously doubt they do. But now I desperate to talk to just about anyone up in that prison to see what in the world is going on.

In Calif. ALL Incoming & Outgoing mail is read.

Great news everyone! I finally received a letter from Corey today responding to the letters that I thought got trashed! It turns out that there was a careless delay with him receiving those letters, why, I don't know. But just to be on the safe side from now on I will start numbering the letters that I send to him and tell him to do the same so that we know for sure that a nasty c/o hasn't gotten a hold of them and trashed them. I do thank everyone for the insight on this situation!

Absolutly they read the mail...they also copy it here in OH if they think they might have something. Like someone said earlier.....its there world...they do what ever they want!!!!!

I am so glad you finally received a letter. I hope Corey is doing well. There is no excuse for his mail taking this long. I would still file a grievance on this issue. I'll PM to talk more about this. :)

They also keep records of all the addresses of people who write them, so if the prisoner ever escapes, or abscounds, they know who his friends & relatives are, & where to begin looking for him.

I know how you feel. My mail goes missing all the time. I have even had the pictures go missing out of the letters. So, now I number all of our letters so he will know if one is missing. I keep them all on a back up cd so I can resend them. I also mark clearly on the outside of the envelope how many pictures are enclosed just so he knows if he got them all or not.

well i hope these folks here in Oklahoma read my mail...haha..but i never stopped writing what is in my heart or on my mind...and if they read my mail...they are in for a real treat! i do believe that they can and do throw letters away or "lose" them as i have had letters that my man wrote me that i have never gotten and he will say to me a few letters later....what did you think of that poem i wrote you...or the card i sent you? and i have never recieved it....so i guess they just like messin with these inmates, its all about money, and its all a mind game...lets see who we can break up now..or hurt...or whatever...ya just gotta hang in there...and keep writing...and hope that he will get it......

I feel you sweetself, because that is the truth, those people could care less about the inmate's mail or privacy. If anything they would get a thrill out of taking that little bit of joy away from the inmates, and that disgusts me so bad.

Thanks for the info Bella. I have been wondering why my husband in the reception center has not been getting his mail. I always beg the mail room to please give him his letters if they are reading them. I am new to the system and could not figure out why I get his letters but he does not get mine. Then he worries that something has happened to me and starts to stress. I tell him not to stress that our son knows his counsoler name and ext at the prison so if something does happen he will call. I just hate to have him worry about me when he has enough to worry about inside for himself. I guess when you have been with someone since the age of 12 and married for the last 30 years you can't help but worry. I hate that they do this to our guys.

The mail rooms are usually to busy to read the letters or don't really care. It's the few CO's who have no life that like to read the mail. When my husband was in the box he said he always got his mail passed out later than the others, and heard CO's commenting how he "definitely gets the best letters out of all the inmates"( Sometimes I get a little nasty for him especially when he's in lock-down)! :) So they CAN read them, they DO read them and they make comments about the letters to the inmate and there is nothing we can do about it. If he's not getting your mail at all, that's a different story and there are laws about tampering with mail for inmates. So be careful what you say , in letters and on the phone. My husband lost his gain time over a conversation we had where he told me he gave another inmate my number to call me in case anything ever happened to him.Definitely no privacy in the world of the DOC.
Christa (FL)

My husband reminds me all the time..."watch what you say" I don't think they read every word I write but I'm sure the do scan them. Hope the like the really "good" letters! LOL

I know they have TONS of mail that come into all prisons... so no they don't read ALL mail but I know for sure that most prisons randomly read them. I know at Gulf CI where Aaron is they do skim over them making sure there aren't reference to BOMBS,GANGS, things like that... he said one night he got a letter from me and the guard told him it was HOT! He told him to go F*&# himself and find someone to write him letters and keep his nose out of his personal mail.... luckily the guard was intimidated by Aaron and left him alone from that day on. He is from the same town as Aaron & I and he KNOWS Aaron has 13 months left so he doesn't want to make enemies with him.. smart guard ;o)

ive heard that they do, but i cannot imagine that they have enough staff to read all that incoming mail, im sure they read at random and that they examine the mail, but read every letter? come on ladies, you know how long our letters are and how frequently we send them! no way!

I only had a problem when paul was down in rikers and the city jails when his trial was about to start so the district attorney had a few of our letters at the trial..
but never upstate new york, i never had a problem.

My husband told me that the CO's open and examine the letters but they don't read them. That has happened to us numerous of times but I think it happens like that b/c there is a lot of mail coming and going.

denimblue said it!!!!

yes they do......

if they do read them..and the length of my letters..i feel for them LOL..

I agree with you, I write really long letters too. Sometimes they are like 12-15 pages long...lol. Anyhow, i do believe that they read them, I've personally never had a problem with the mail system only once but i know why. Rick had asked me for old english letters so I printed out some from the computer, they sent the letter back, Rick later told me that it was due to tatoos going on inside the unit. He just wanted them to use in the drawings, they can be really strict sometimes. BTW Rick is in TDCJ.

if they do read them..and the length of my letters..i feel for them LOL..

From What I Know Yes They Do. But Supposedly The Only Reason They Do That Is To Find Out Infomation On Anything Illegal, Like Drugs Gangs, And So Forth.

Matt and I were talking about that the other day cause i sent him letters on Tuesday and he hadn't gotten them still by Friday. I called to Mail room to see if they had come through there and the lady was very nice and told me that they hadn't gotten anything from me since #/#/##. Obviously they keep record of Who sends mail and what day it is recieved. Matt did tell me one day it took him 3 weeks before he got a letter from his mom. Maybe There is a new Inmate there with the same name do you put the DOC # on all his letters if not then do that, it could be where the confusion is. Finally They sent my letters back to me, They weighed too much. so i just cut it down and put it in 2 different envelopes. BUT, IN Va Jail's If the Inmate has a letter come in and it cannot be sent to them for whatever reason, like weight or too many pics or whatever, They are supposed to send the Inmate a notice that a letter was received but returned to sender. But then again he never got one of those either. Good luck

They do scan through it, I know they do that when they get incomin mail. And if they really suspect something they will read it.

at the prison I volunteer in ...yes they read the incoming mail, just a reminder...NEVER EVER say in your letters anything "bad" about the warden or staff or anything like that! even if what you say might be true...never do that! the letters won't get through if you do, or your loved one could get "written up " etc...it just causes more trouble than it is worth.

I think it really depends on the prison, who is working in the mailroom, etc. It is probably best to conduct yourself as though someone will read the letters even though as many have said they'd get pretty bored at reading all the I Love You's we send in on a daily basis. I know at the last place my man was, certain pictures I thought most certainly would be returned or destroyed ended up in his lap and a few of my letters were delivered to him unopened so it's the luck of the draw I suppose.

Patty

In a supermax, not only do they read it, they xerox it! If your man is in level 1, 2, 3 it is random mail monitoring. at any time if they find something concerning they will start to monitor your mail

I always follow the code that someone may read this!

J told me that in the county, if an x-rated letter came in, after the guys were locked down, the CO'S would put a chair in the middle of the floor and read the letter out loud. Hope they all enjoyed mine!

He isn't suppose to have stickers, but I sent so damn much mail over Valentines week, I guess they must have just said "the hell with it" and gave it all to him.

Now he got denied last months Maxim because it mentioned beastiality. He got a note saying he wasn't getting it. So I went and bought a copy and am holding it for him. I wonder what they did with all them?

:eek: Boy is this one right up my line so to speak I as most of you know am also an X-Co rom AZ. and also at one time was the Special Security Gang investigator, and yes if they have a suspicion or the Internal Investigation of the Secuirity threat CO and you aske for mail to be held they are supposed to fill out a form and they can read and copy anything they want but it is supposed to either back to where it came or the inmate, I have during my course of years in the system have had to do that but i always sent it on through as fast a i could. Now as the girlfriend of an inmate at the prison I was working at they are loosing our mail and not giving a d**n about what we care about. They have kept him on Investigative Detention (LockDown) going on 70 days. Even tho he was reclassed to another prison a month ago. We number our letters now because He has written several that I have never gotten and sometimes it takes 9 0r 10 days to get to me. He says when he does get my mail it's just as long and I write every single day but sUNDAY. It took them 45 days to give him a Money order and card I sent in the beginning. I have talked to a Prison Activist here in Az who told me to start sending them registered return receipt so I know that he gets them and it will leave a paper trail to prove they are screwing with us but it is so very costly 7$ for a card. I can't do it all the time but when I am sure that I want him to read it then I will. Belle I'd love to have you pm me and tell me more about your experience I had 14 yrs in the DOC. But my man is worth every year of it.

I know how you feel. My mail goes missing all the time. I have even had the pictures go missing out of the letters. So, now I number all of our letters so he will know if one is missing. I keep them all on a back up cd so I can resend them. I also mark clearly on the outside of the envelope how many pictures are enclosed just so he knows if he got them all or not.
I do the same thing! :thumbsup:

Heck ya they read the mail. They have sent me back a few letters. They wrote inappropriate material on the envelope in big black bold letters. A couple of them a reread a few times and saw nothing inappropriate at all. I don't even think a nun would have even been offended by some of the letters they sent back to me.

I can only speak for prisons here in Kentucky, however, they do not have enough mail staff to read every single letter that comes in and goes out.

The prison my husband is in, Internal Affairs picks supposedly at random five letters a day, both incoming and outgoing to read.

Unless of course they have heard something on the phone they want to investigate further.

According to the rules of the prison he is in, the only subjects that are taboo are, discussions about guns, escape plans, and doing drugs.

Also if you have any escape charges, they will not allow any maps in, not just speaking of travel maps either, the kind of maps you might find on a placemat where you ate.

As far as "drug talk", they dont care if you talk about medications you may be taking or they may be taking. They just dont want to read about any illegal drugs.

There is to be no discussion about guns though, except I did tell my husband that I got my Concealed Weapons Permit and that went through ok.

If they read every letter that came in and out, they wouldnt have the time to deliver them. Prisons are usually large and there is just too much mail.

We havent had any problem except for I once sent in a placemat that had a map of where it was located and they rejected it because my husband has an escape charge.

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

I know here in Idaho they read the letters, and I'm pretty sure they at least skim every letter. If there is anything obscene/offensive or any talk about doing anything illegal, they won't deliver to to the inmate. They will either keep it and just not deliver it, throw it away, or send it back and label it "Unauthorized Mail" *shrugs*

In Kansas, the mailroom staff is supposed to "scan" each letter...who knows for how long, or how intently.

At El Dorado, there were a few times an item was removed from a letter I sent (stickers, photos, etc.), and Shawn would get a slip from the mailroom explaining the reason behind it. We have always numbered our letters, and none of them have ever gone AWOL :)

Now at Larned, it's a different story. There are only a few hundred inmates, and it is a mental health facility, so mail is read very closely at all times. Shawn's counselor confirmed this on the phone recently, and he said certain staff members are watching my guy closely...probably due to a combination of his violent history in the KDOC, and a suicide attempt in March.

I have never received a letter from Shawn that was opened...from either facility.

I am an artist and my baby loves for me to draw scenes of me and him doing things like an innocent kiss, or holding hands under the moonlight etc... When he was in the county, depending on who was going through the mail, some drawings would get to him, some thrown away and some they put with his personal belongings they confiscated at the time of his arrest, then got sent back to me when he was transfered. I never could understand how some got through but others didn't because they weren't in any way pornographic. We've had no trouble with our mail getting to each other promptly at the prison he is at now, but they do open the mail and check them for contraband. I'm glad to here from someone like Belle2000 to clear up what I've been wondering all alone about the crap the c/o's pull on those poor guys. It's so heartbreaking. I wish I knew how it could be stopped too.

As far as I know, yes they do read it. My mail takes 2.5 to 3 weeks to reach my man, but I know my mail reaches the prison within 5 days. Mailrooms suck! Many times items that my man sends me like necklaces, cards etc. are broken, cut in two, or just disappeared from the mail. I wrote a letter to the warden about it and he was decent enough to send me an answer. Surprise. He tells me that the mailroom has 40 working hours (= 5 days) excluding weekends and holidays, to forward the mail to my man. My man's mail however reaches me most of the time within 4 or 5 days. Well, I wrote him a naughty letter this week, just to see if he gets it. Just some sweet dirty talk heehee. Hey what else can we do huh?

Yes, In Joseph and my case, They do read it.And they Do reject it if they please.I got a letter rejected that was sprayed with perfume and anything that has loose sparkles or maps.They also mess with us at times - It sometimes takes p to 2 weeks to get to him when were only 4 hours apart and in the same state-imagine that?so i deffinatly know it is NOT

he he wrong button, i meant to say it is NOT the post office, these co's need prayer-messing with the only thing our men have to look foward to-SIMPLE AS THAT!good luck though.oh and i would also date your letters that way he knows when you wrote!

:angry: well i have had this happen a couple of times, I sent him like 50 questions that we were both going to answer so we could get to know each other better. I cheated and did mine on the computer it still came out to like 6 pages, of course he doesnt have a computer so his was handwritten. I never received his (which meant he didnt get mine because i told him i'd send it when i got his). I made a fuss about it because i wanted the answers well its easy for me to send a copy but what about him that was the most that he has written and i never received it :angry: Its not fair that they do this and i wish they had a way of really keeping track

I know here in Idaho they read the letters, and I'm pretty sure they at least skim every letter. If there is anything obscene/offensive or any talk about doing anything illegal, they won't deliver to to the inmate. They will either keep it and just not deliver it, throw it away, or send it back and label it "Unauthorized Mail" *shrugs*
You know there are federal laws preventing throwing away mail. However, the problem is in trying to prove it was thrown away is something else.
Also who decides what is offensive? It may not be offensive to either one of you. Just because it is offensive to the one reading it, doesnt seem to be fair. But then again there really is not much fairness that goes on in prisons and jails.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

I think the way it works is that they're supposed to let you know that you received something they don't allow and then the inmate has the option of either sending it back at cost to them, or the mail personnel are allowed to throw it away.



Yes, In Joseph and my case, They do read it.And they Do reject it if they please.I got a letter rejected that was sprayed with perfume and anything that has loose sparkles or maps.They also mess with us at times - It sometimes takes p to 2 weeks to get to him when were only 4 hours apart and in the same state-imagine that?so i deffinatly know it is NOT

It might depend on the prison, but Jeremy told me nobody reads his letters. I had been worried about getting too personal because of my concern about officers reading the letters. I hope that Corey will get all your letters. Mail is not always reliable though. Just keep writing and I am sure you will get something back.

It is illegal for ANYONE to interrupt the mail - including prisons. Yes, they can read it at their discretion - but they absolutely cannot take your mail and not give it to an inmate. But unless you send it certified, there's no proof that you sent anything, so illegal or not, I guess they do whatever they want.

When Kevin was in, they didn't read the mail - in fact, they don't even have a mailroom. The mail CO passed out the mail to the cells, opened it in front of the inmate, and just made sure there was no contraband. Kevin said that he never saw any inmates mail being read - they are just too busy. But, they CAN if they feel it's warrented.

Good luck getting your letters in. I never had a problem, but I've heard others with the problem of not getting mail. We had a friend in the Atlanta Federal and it took almost a month to get mail - now he's in another Fed prison and it's down to about 3-4 days.

Blessings!

My PP in florida tells me that because of "some of the things"I comment on the mail gets held up and they will copy it and keep it on file. The FBI will have some of mine if that is true as I can get a little heated on some issues. But at the request of my PP I have toned my comments down some what. I once commented on a Large powerful corporation in Florida I'm sure you know which one, and he asked me not to mention them again. I really makes me re check what I write now. What is ok for me may be trouble for him.

In Australia, I sent Corry some artwork my kids did in daycare, and one of the pictures had glitter pen on it and they wouldnt give him any of the kids stuff, but he got the letter. :(
The reason they gave him, was contraband :confused: (mind you the sniffer dogs go through all the mail). It was put in his property though to get when he left.
I know they read all the incoming mail here as well. Like I lived a hour away from the prison, and if I talked about his case through mail, it would take him a few days to get, but if I just talked about a general day, he would get it the next day.

i know in NY they go thru the mail. I also know they hold mail long enough to stress my Outtie out and then they give him a whole bunch. Funny 2 days for him to send to me and 7-8 for mine to him.....hmmmmmm

i'm having fits because i haven't heard from my guy since midmay when he transited out of texas.
i wrote to him twice while he was In Transit, to places where i located him on BOP. then when i located him in FDC philly, where he landed on 6/9, i wrote to the street address given on BOP. i got the inmate address from PTO & wrote to him there, then called the prison to find out if the letter to the street address would be returned. YES. so i'm hoping the letter i mailed on 6/22 will get to him soon.
i have a block on my phone, & haven't had money to send evercom, so he can't call me.
& i've called 4 different federal pretrial offices, & they haven't yet been able to even tell me if he's been assigned a federal defender.
this is all just too inhumane.

I was incarcerated at the Holmes County Jail in Bonifay Florida in the summer of 2003. The day after I arrived the Judge sentenced me to 90 days with credit for time served in another county(over 250 days) The jail Administrator Harry Hamilton and Deputy Administrator Bennie Chesnut refused to release me even though my time was served. After trying to work within the system I sent a motion to the circuit court. The motion was sealed,marked legal mail, and put in the jail mail box. The next day before the mail was even picked up, I was released. Yeah facilities open and screen mail incoming and outgoing. Its illegal but hard to prove.

I wonder how it works here in Michigan US. I was told that a necklace my daughter sent her father would not be held for him.



In Australia, I sent Corry some artwork my kids did in daycare, and one of the pictures had glitter pen on it and they wouldnt give him any of the kids stuff, but he got the letter. :(
The reason they gave him, was contraband :confused: (mind you the sniffer dogs go through all the mail). It was put in his property though to get when he left.
I know they read all the incoming mail here as well. Like I lived a hour away from the prison, and if I talked about his case through mail, it would take him a few days to get, but if I just talked about a general day, he would get it the next day.

In Australia, I sent Corry some artwork my kids did in daycare, and one of the pictures had glitter pen on it and they wouldnt give him any of the kids stuff, but he got the letter. :(
The reason they gave him, was contraband :confused: (mind you the sniffer dogs go through all the mail). It was put in his property though to get when he left.
I know they read all the incoming mail here as well. Like I lived a hour away from the prison, and if I talked about his case through mail, it would take him a few days to get, but if I just talked about a general day, he would get it the next day.

Kyla, why do you think they would be so interested in reading about his case? I mean I realize that it could be a bit unusual, however to hold it up like that? Just curious.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

Well I guess I am the lucky one because where my husband is the only topics that are taboo, are talking about any kind of weapons, anything that has to do with an escape and no discussion of any kind on drugs.
Of course we have no need to discuss any of those topics.
One time though I did make a drawing of an (adult toy), oh I had everything labeled on it as well and they held it up for two weeks because they were just sure it was a weapon as I guess in someways it did look similar. However if they would have read the body of the letter they would have known that it wasnt a dangerous weapon. Besides who ever heard of a dangerous weapon with an electric cord hanging down?
Other than that we are real fortunate.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

I have had some mail thrown away here in Washinton. I sent Fellah a print out of a news story and forgot to check the surrounding pictures. Well, from what the rejection form said, there was an image of a gun in one of the banners on the page. I wouldn't have minded them tossing the news story, but they threw the whole envelope and all its contents away, including a personal letter.

I now send personal letters in one envelope, new stories in another and never send actuall pictures, just photo copies of pictures. Photographs are considered contraband. Go figure.

JJT

I have had some mail thrown away here in Washinton. I sent Fellah a print out of a news story and forgot to check the surrounding pictures. Well, from what the rejection form said, there was an image of a gun in one of the banners on the page. I wouldn't have minded them tossing the news story, but they threw the whole envelope and all its contents away, including a personal letter.

I now send personal letters in one envelope, new stories in another and never send actuall pictures, just photo copies of pictures. Photographs are considered contraband. Go figure.

JJT

Oh my gosh, photographs are considered contraband, what will they come up with next.

I hear you about sending things in seperate envelopes. I always do that just in case. Too bad your letter got thrown out.

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

:confused: does anyone know how long it takes for the corr. fac. to mail back pictures they can't have because it has been awhile and my man already sign the paper to send them back. they are pictures i don't want just hanging around the said they were nude ones but the y were not i had a shirt on and a bathing suite bottoms. i just don't what to do.. can someone help me????

:confused: does anyone know how long it takes for the corr. fac. to mail back pictures they can't have because it has been awhile and my man already sign the paper to send them back. they are pictures i don't want just hanging around the said they were nude ones but the y were not i had a shirt on and a bathing suite bottoms. i just don't what to do.. can someone help me????

Well it depends on the facility and the distance to you of course. After he has signed the paper and turned in an envelope and stamp, it should go out right away and you should get it in the same time it takes for him to mail you a letter.

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

All my husbands mail is opened and read before he reads it, and letters take a MONTH for him to receive them! His to me only take a few days, but the mailroom at Corcoran is extremly behind!

All my husbands mail is opened and read before he reads it, and letters take a MONTH for him to receive them! His to me only take a few days, but the mailroom at Corcoran is extremly behind!

That is just disgusting a month to receive mail. Yea, I would say Corcoran is alot behind. Too busy looking for all of those drugs, cell phones that get smuggled in there. They probably dont have a big enough staff to handle the mail room.

It must be very difficult to communicate like that. I can only imagine.

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

Do they also read outgoing mail???

They make sure there's no contraband going out that's against policy. My daughter's father says he can't send a lock of hair because it's considered planting DNA.

Do they also read outgoing mail???

They do not read every single word of every single letter that goes out. However, sometimes they will target certain people and read alot.

If you stop and think about it, there are so many inmates, they cant read every word that goes out in every letter.

Oh my goodness if they did that, we would never get any mail.

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

They make sure there's no contraband going out that's against policy. My daughter's father says he can't send a lock of hair because it's considered planting DNA.

Planting DNA, what will they come up with next? I wonder what they do with some of my letters, where my hair gets stuck in the envelope when I am sealing it. Oh my!

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

my man is in southport corr. fac. it only takes 2 days for the mail to get here or there and he sign the paper almost 3 weeks ago and i have not heard any thing he is getting more and more mad but trying to hold it together cause he goes for parole in sept.i don't knpw what to do......

my man is in southport corr. fac. it only takes 2 days for the mail to get here or there and he sign the paper almost 3 weeks ago and i have not heard any thing he is getting more and more mad but trying to hold it together cause he goes for parole in sept.i don't knpw what to do......

Welcome to PTO first of all. Mail seems to be a source of trouble for alot of inmates. Yes, definitely he needs to hold it together, if he goes up for parole in September. You dont want anything to ruin that for the two of you.

If this mail problem continues, may I suggest he talk with his Counselor there and see what if anything can be done.

Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

To my knowledge, the mail is read.

Something very unusual is going on with me and Corey. Okay, we write eachother at least two to three times a week, and it only takes two to three days for us to receive eachother's letters. So last week I mailed him off a letter Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing that he would get them at least by Friday or Saturday. All this week I hadn't received a response from either of the letters that I wrote him so I knew something was wrong. Then today I get a letter from Corey and he was all worried and concerned because he said that he hadn't received any responses to the letters that he wrote me and wanted to know what was going on with me, so that means he never got my letters! Then I remember in one of the letters I said it's good that he is standing tall to the warden in order to get his visiting privileges reinstated back to him, because in his letter this is what he was telling me he was doing. I also referred to the warden in a rude manner, so I'm assuming that maybe a c/o or the warden himself got a hold of that letter and read it, and out of spite they are throwing away any mail that I send to Corey. I just hope and pray this is not the case, but I was just wondering is it typical for the mailroom to actually read the contents of the letters being sent to inmates? I mean I know that they have to check the mail for any foreign substances or material, but I didn't know that they would read the letters, don't the inmates get some type of privacy in there? I'm still kinda new to the correctional system, so I don't know how they go about doing certain things. I just hope that I receive a letter from Corey saying that he has gotten my letters, because I have sent more since those last two letters and still haven't gotten a response. :confused:

Aloha!
They do read all incoming letters. I been in this system many years and know the ins and outs. My husband incarcerated for the pass 17 years and yes they read the letters for safety reasons. FYI: watch the bad mouth or your love one can get in trouble like losing priviledges or thrown in the hole.

Yeah, they read the mail...and you have to be careful what you say about some things. I send all my love and kisses and sexy stuff...they want to read it, maybe they can go home and make their loved ones happy, whatever...but i am careful what i say about a lot of things...knowing what i say can get him put in the hole, or visits restricted, that kills me. I can't think about how i would feel if i was responsible for that..ya know..I just re read all my letters first, and then mail...
and the whole DNA thing..hello i seal my letters with DNA...WTH!!! and he goes back to his cell after a visit with my hair all over him...it falls out all the time...my DNA must be all over that joint...lol
Keep the Faith...Stay strong and Write till your hand goes numb...they live for our letters

Oh yea, they live for our letters, cards, calls, visits, postcards, pictures, anything and everything we can share with them.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

well if they do read the mail here in texas, i hope they get a kick out of some of the stories that i send to ken

:D ;) :p

terri

Same here!! Except I am in Az. They must really love all the juicy details in my letters. :D :p

A friend of mine was transfered to The Max Pen in CO and he recently sent me a card stating that he was told by the staff to let me know that my future letters my be "Rejected" if I continue to speak of other Perionsers... Being My man which he's friends with... Thus, our Converstations is to be kept in the guide lines of me, him, and life in general... I've had things rejected and sent back to me like stamps, placing stickers on things etc... But nothing like this, I'm wondering if it's because he was just transfered over or what? Oh! my man stated at one time he didn't think that he was reciveing all his mail... so we started to palce the date it was mailed on the back of the envlope... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Sometime I will get letter that haven't been seald. But as far reciving not reciving them I reive mine from him with three day's or two... It depends on how fast the mail is going *smile*, He's sent letters out thursday I would recive them on Sat or Mon... With mine I try to send them out by Mon or Tues at the latest...So they will get there by Friday... I don't think he recives mail on Sat..

Then again I sent him stamps and stickers on his letters and he recived them with no problems... But when I tried to do it again.... they where sent back....sometimes it really boils down to who is checking the mail..I also have a friend who was tranfered twice and I didn't know it.. Therefore, letters fallowed him and he recived them four months later... One of B's letters did once get caught in sorting machine*smile*.. it arrived in a plastic baggy and couple weeks later...*laughter*This time was the postoffice falt...

Yes, they are reading your mail and probably photocopying it, too. Prisons are very small communities and Peytons Place's, fer sure! the women in the mailroom, in my experience, are haters and gererally, just real c***s!:eek:

A friend of mine was transfered to The Max Pen in CO and he recently sent me a card stating that he was told by the staff to let me know that my future letters my be "Rejected" if I continue to speak of other Perionsers... Being My man which he's friends with... Thus, our Converstations is to be kept in the guide lines of me, him, and life in general... I've had things rejected and sent back to me like stamps, placing stickers on things etc... But nothing like this, I'm wondering if it's because he was just transfered over or what? Oh! my man stated at one time he didn't think that he was reciveing all his mail... so we started to palce the date it was mailed on the back of the envlope... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I don't know about your state, however, some states they frown on information relayed in a letter about another inmate. Perhaps if you can keep it to a bare minimum. like heard from (first name only) today and he is doing fine, etc. Perhaps they wont reject that sort of thing. Good luck to you.
Remember Hope is a good thing, it springs life eternal.

yes they read everything that comes into that place.

I'm in Alaska and we don't have a Fed Pen... So B is doing his time in CA he askes if I can find his friends at such and such all the time with no problem.... However, the friend of ours is at CO Max....