For the past month I been recieving mail from my husband that has been reopened. What I mean by that is once the mail room gets it they seal it. Well my mail is sealed, but it always has a cut on top or the bottom, the way they cut the mail open when they get incoming mail to inmates, then it is taped back up, one time they must couldnt find no tape because they used staples. When asked why my mail is like that, she comments could be because of lockdown, but if that is the case others should get that as well. He is in the hole and on some bogus charges that without a whole lot of lies and cover up, the charges wont stick, I think they are going through his mail after the mail room has checked it. Is this ok to do? Also he sent me a letter on the 2nd of this month, I never got it, yet I got a letter that he sent out on the 10th yesterday. I think they feel they have something in that letter to go against him but dont they still have to let him know they have taken the letter? I dont know what to do. Any suggestions?

HEY WHAT PRISON IS YOUR MAN IN? BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO ME TOO.. MY MAN IS IN CALIPATRIA! I GOT A LETTER FROM HIM DATED 8/22-8/23 AND I RECEIVED IT ON 9/20 AND I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HIM DATED AFTER THOSE DATES. ALSO HE IS NOT RECEIVNG ALL HIS MAIL AND SOME THINGS WERE CROSSED OUT IN HIS LETTER THAT TALKED ABOUT THE RIOT, I AM ALSO NOT RECEIVING ALL THE MAIL HE SENDS ME, WE NUMBER OUR LETTERS AND i HAVE RECIEVED 2 OUT OF 7. I HAVE CALLED THE MAILROOM, HIS COUNSELOR AND THE LT. AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REAL ANSWER. THEY ALL SAY THERE IS NO REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T BE GETTING HIS MAIL AS WELL AS HIM RECEIVING MY MAIL AND THAT NO ONE WOULD CROSS OUT ANYTHING IN HIS LETTERS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON EITHER BUT I THOUGH THEY COULDN'T MESS WITH THEIR MAIL UNLESS THE HAVE BEEN INFORMED. WELL THAT'S ALL I KNOW.. WELL LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIND OUT ANYTHING.

SINNERSLADY

Well firts of Hello my man is in Calipatria as well, and as far as im concerned all the mail is open every day no metter what but right now they think people are writting about the riots so they go on reading every single word in the letter if it contains anything about the riots the inmates do not get the letter so your man was lucky they only crossed it out, so thats why the mail is so backed up and verrrrrrrrrrry sloooooooooooooooow.

In most, if not all, prisons the outgoing inmate mail is checked and sealed by C/O's on 1st watch. The mailroom staff only opens and checks incoming mail. I have no idea why the mail would be sealed then reopened. Never seen it happen.

Where my man is, they were censoring the mail after he got put in the hole. He has been there almost 2 months now. Last week I got the first letter that hadn't been reopened (across the bottom or the top and taped again) and the word CENSORED stamped on it in red or the envelope with the "un" crossed out in the stamp that says "Uncensored Mail From (facility name)". My man isn't even in California, so it's not anything new to the whole "system".

After thinking about this some more I remembered that sometimes inmates will seal the envelope before they put it in the mailbox. In that case the staff will open the mail, check it, then reseal it. I have seen that happen many times.

In California I have never seen mail censored. If the mail is unacceptable it is sent back to the inmate.

My husband is at Calipatria, but I asked him if he could have sealed it before he gave it to them, and he laughed at me and said he been in prison 10 years and he knows the rules and never sealed the letters. I been getting mail from him since he been in prison and I have kept all his letters and none of them have been done like this till now, I do understand what sgt said about reopening if it is sealed, but what I wanted to know is if they are in the hole and there is suppose to be a investigation going on, could the people who are investigating go behind the c/o's who sealed the letters and reopen them to see if there is anything in it they could use? If they can, would they still have to let them know they are not sending it, the same way they would let them know they didnt get mail from someone due to what ever reason? I also am waiting for a letter he sent over 3 weeks ago, and I havent got it, but have gotten letters he sent after that. It is all so complicated, I dont know if I should be going off, or if this is just something they do and they can do by law.

To answer your question, yes if they had reason they could reopen the mail before it is sent out, read it/copy it/whatever, reseal it, and send it out. They would not have to notifiy the inmate that is what they are doing unless they keep the letter. As long as send it when they are done they are within their rights.

Okay, I understand if they have an ongoing investigation and if there is something in the letter that those who are doing the investigating can use, I get it ! But what was crossed in my mans letter were his injuries and when we spoke(asked for an emergency phone call) he said he NEVER crossed out anything in his letters.. So why would anybody need to cross out anything????? That really bothered me and I have yet to get a definetive answer. So why would they need to reopen and tape up his letter and cross things out?

Sinnerslady

Never heard of anyone crossing anything out. And why bother crossing them out if you can read them anyway? Just doesn't make any sense.

I'm glad you guys are talking about this. This has been happening to me too - my husband is in the hole at Old Folsom - bogus charges too. Letters come back taped shut AFTER the mailroom has already sealed it. Initially I thought the same thing, that maybe he had accidentaly sealed it. But he said 'no way' - he knows the routine. It's not every letter - maybe a couple a month. The crazy thing is that theres absolutely NOTHING in those letters that I can see would interest ANYBODY for any reason. It's annoying and usually means I recieve the letters late - also they often will have footprints on them.??? But to the best of my knowledge it is perfectly legal for CDC to do whatever they want with the inmates letters unless it's addressed as 'legal mail' to the ombudsman or other officials.

Thanks Sgt, I still havent gotten the letter, and to be honest, there is really nothing one can do. They can say they sent it out, and the post office has lost it, or many other things. The only way to find out is to wait till he goes to committe and see if they break out this letter. He says it was nothing he believes could be twisted and used against him, so I dont know what to do. As for the reopened letters. I got to pray on this because I dont want him in any more trouble than he already is in, and lately alot of the inmates I know who have put in 602's or had their families complain, has been gettin the short end of the stick (115's for silly stuff and transfered). So for those who are going threw this, just keep ya head up and this to shall pass.

Oh yes. I complained and we appealed getting one RIDICULOUS 115 overturned. Some people totally got their hands slapped and NOW we're dealing with yet another phony 115. I pray to god that he DOES end up transferred. Apparently we've made a couple of enemies in admin - I guess people who lack integrity and can't comprehend the rules that they are 'supposed' to abide by don't like being called on it. Imagine that. I'll won't stop complaining if I believe somthing is unjust though. Sooner or later we all get what weve got coming to us. A couple of bad apples can sure cause alot of grief. Good luck to those of you in the same boat. And thanks SGT for the info.

With all the mail problems my man and I have encountered, I am really surprised they don't send back the letters that have me voicing my opinion of the warden, some of the co's and other things. I have never been one to hold my tongue when something has been bothering me. I am sure that everyone at the facility my honey is at knows what I think of some of them. Including the female sgt that I called a "power tripping sk**ky *B*" The letter never came back and he got it. Nothing in my mail was crossed out. His visit to the hole this time has something to do with someone in admin. Might be the warden that I "upset" with a letter that was sent to 8 different agencies....who knows. It is so true, they do not like it when you stir the pot....or call them on the injustices being done. Sounds like the middle of Nov. and he will be transferred. That's what "they" are telling those in the hole now.

To answer your question, yes if they had reason they could reopen the mail before it is sent out, read it/copy it/whatever, reseal it, and send it out. They would not have to notifiy the inmate that is what they are doing unless they keep the letter. As long as send it when they are done they are within their rights.


Thanks SGT!

You know, I thought it was kind of odd. I have received a couple of letter that have been opened on the top. Nothing look like it was resealed, it just looked like someone was trying to open the envelope. Thank you for your information. It has helped me

all of my pen pal letters I recieve from PVSP are taped. they look like they were opened and then taped shut. Thought I was the only one.