I wanted to know if anyone had a loved one there? If so, what was your experience with mail? Were they picky about what kinds of pictures you could send? What about calendars?
My bf wants to get transferred to DCC, is it hard to get transferred?
What I'm mostly concerned about is visitation, has anyone had bad experiences visiting, with their attire and such? I already know they have that plexiglass:mad: , so no touching my man:( .
That about sums up my questions...

I know about Garden Hill, a friend of mine was just there. Transfers take forever, it took him 19 months to get transferred to DCC. The mail rules are ridiculously strict, I had a picture returned because it had a woman in a bikini from 1954. Also you can’t send any calendars, stationary, blank cards, stamps, magazines or anything printed from the web, even if it doesn’t have the site address. I have a nice collection of returned mail from them. If you like I can send you a copy of all the mail restrictions, it will take some time to type it all out.

I never visited him there, but I know the guards have a lot of attitude to spare and will get downright nasty at times. You have to make an appointment to visit and he will only get one 1 hour visit a week.

I hope your guy will be transferred a lot quicker than my guy was, or at the very lest get sent to the new side were it isn’t as crowded. The Department of Justice has been conducting an investigation so conditions have gotten a little better, but Lord only knows how long it will last.

If you have questions feel free to PM me.

Red

I know about Garden Hill, a friend of mine was just there. Transfers take forever, it took him 19 months to get transferred to DCC. The mail rules are ridiculously strict, I had a picture returned because it had a woman in a bikini from 1954. Also you can’t send any calendars, stationary, blank cards, stamps, magazines or anything printed from the web, even if it doesn’t have the site address. I have a nice collection of returned mail from them. If you like I can send you a copy of all the mail restrictions, it will take some time to type it all out.

I never visited him there, but I know the guards have a lot of attitude to spare and will get downright nasty at times. You have to make an appointment to visit and he will only get one 1 hour visit a week.

I hope your guy will be transferred a lot quicker than my guy was, or at the very lest get sent to the new side were it isn’t as crowded. The Department of Justice has been conducting an investigation so conditions have gotten a little better, but Lord only knows how long it will last.

If you have questions feel free to PM me.

Red

Thanks for the response, but you said Garden Hill, I said Gander Hill, are you talking about a prison in California? Gander Hill is in Delaware:)

However the visiting policy you described does sound like Gander Hill, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.

Yep, it's the same place. I'm just use to calling it Howard R. Young. OK here's the list, and trust me the mail room is strict to the point of being downright vindictive. Things in blue have been my personal experince.

Address labels/ stickers
Lottery/Gambling/Contests/Sweepstakes
Excessive puzzles or coloring pages (limit2) (Clipping of the New York Times crossword puzzle will be returned)
Stickers/Glitter/Confetti/White Out
Stationary Items
Lyrics
Exceeds 4"x6" Photo limits
Carbon Paper
Nude Photos
Internet material (this includes anything printed from a PDF file or anything that changes a font during a letter. I’ve had short stories that I typed out returned)
Blank cards or Postcards
Food Items
Glue or Adhesives
Perfume/Cologne/Scented items
Tobacco or Tobacco products
Photo Copies
Graphic/Detailed Sexual Behavior (includes any Ann Rice books)
Hardback/Leather or Vinyl Bound Books
Exceeds 25 Photo Limit During Incarceration (they are not strict on this, sometimes they’ll return photos when your guy only has 12 photos)
Blank Greeting Cards
Semi Nude Photos including babies/children (they are serious, don’t send pictures of your 6 month old unless they are completely covered. Think baby burka)
Gang Signs/Symbols/Hand Gestures
Glorify Murder/Sex Crimes/Gangs (this includes famous books)
Obscene/ Offending Jokes (the inspectors are easily offended)
Cash or Personal Checks
Gel pens/Metallic ink/Paint (children writing with crayons is a major no-no as well)
Lipstick/Bodily Fluids
Polaroid Pictures
Postal Stamps
Inappropriate Poses (can be anything an inspector doesn’t like, and I mean anything)
Violent Content (includes classic works of fiction and non fiction books)
Exceeds 8.5X11 limits (don’t use a legal pad to write, makes it near impossible to send legal documents on
Standard 8.5x14 format)
Construction Paper (letters from inmates 5 year olds have been sent back because of this)
Sexual Explicit Material (had a post card sent back because of a woman in a bikini from 1954)
Altered/Scratched out Endorsed (but expect to have pictures returned altered and scratched up)
Cut up Photos
Displaying Excessive Cash
Unknown Substance
Not Conducive to Rehab (they can reject anything they dang well feel like)
No foreign languages or code (Pig Latin is considered a foreign language)


Inmate to Inmate Mail/3rd Party/confiscated
Exceeds 1000 Pages
Intoxicants Displayed
Promotes Racial Hatred
Food Stamps
Advocates Riots/Insurrections/Escape
Maps/Transportation Schedules
Advocates Drugs
Survival Information
Welfare or Social Security Checks
Weapons
Advocates Violence
All magazines or books have to come from the publisher or reputable bookseller with an invoice. I have had magazines sent back to the publishers address with a note saying "Must come from publisher"

They are only allowed 5 books or magazines in a 30 day time span

All letters must have a return address, inmates committed name SBI number and correct institutional address.

You can only send mail via standard USPS

Thank you! Man they're so picky in these places, ridiculous. no legal pad paper..and no semi nude baby pictures?I don't have kids but come on now. lol
I wonder if they consider love names as code too :rolleyes:

cKing07-I've been 2 many and plenty visits that's where my man stays they are very strict about what you wear nothing that shows your shoulders, no skirts above the knee, no tights.and i know i'm 4getting something else basically the best thing your safe in is t-shirt and jeans or a button down shirt-but you have to have an undershirt on underneath. you can wear skirts but they have to be just at your knee. you can wear nice shirts but they'll turn you around if they're see-through or too low-cut. Basically their buttholes, except for one he's cool. he's a light-skinned dude and he's bald. he works on tuesdays, and thursdays. you can only bring your keys, your i.d, and a money order. no cell phone, or anything metal. oh, and no jacket they'll make you take it off. But as far as bad experiences, as long as you get passed them, and get to your man your good. i hoped this helped.:)

cKing07-I've been 2 many and plenty visits that's where my man stays they are very strict about what you wear nothing that shows your shoulders, no skirts above the knee, no tights.and i know i'm 4getting something else basically the best thing your safe in is t-shirt and jeans or a button down shirt-but you have to have an undershirt on underneath. you can wear skirts but they have to be just at your knee. you can wear nice shirts but they'll turn you around if they're see-through or too low-cut. Basically their buttholes, except for one he's cool. he's a light-skinned dude and he's bald. he works on tuesdays, and thursdays. you can only bring your keys, your i.d, and a money order. no cell phone, or anything metal. oh, and no jacket they'll make you take it off. But as far as bad experiences, as long as you get passed them, and get to your man your good. i hoped this helped.:)

Thanks, so no jackets to the point where you can get kicked out, or do they have you put it in a locker? What do you wear in the winter then?

cKing07-I've been 2 many and plenty visits that's where my man stays they are very strict about what you wear nothing that shows your shoulders, no skirts above the knee, no tights.and i know i'm 4getting something else basically the best thing your safe in is t-shirt and jeans or a button down shirt-but you have to have an undershirt on underneath. you can wear skirts but they have to be just at your knee. you can wear nice shirts but they'll turn you around if they're see-through or too low-cut. Basically their buttholes, except for one he's cool. he's a light-skinned dude and he's bald. he works on tuesdays, and thursdays. you can only bring your keys, your i.d, and a money order. no cell phone, or anything metal. oh, and no jacket they'll make you take it off. But as far as bad experiences, as long as you get passed them, and get to your man your good. i hoped this helped.:)

Yes i remember when i used to vsit my ex bf 's brother a while back.. It was crazy! They made my cousin go thru all kinds of things .. to make sure her shirt was ok.. I ws like geez you could thru water on it and its so thick you couldnt see thru it. .but whatever we finally got to see him. It was really loud in there cause there was a lot of kids the first time we went .. Yea but as she said once you get thru that check point you are ok.. Sometimes there are guards on the outside taking a break and walking out i have asked them before i got in was what we had on was ok .. lol .. I believe there is lockers if i remember correctly..

Thank you! Man they're so picky in these places, ridiculous. no legal pad paper..and no semi nude baby pictures?I don't have kids but come on now. lol
I wonder if they consider love names as code too :rolleyes:

No Legal Pad paper??? That is what I was writing on, I guess he has not gotten my mail........

Yep, it's the same place. I'm just use to calling it Howard R. Young. OK here's the list, and trust me the mail room is strict to the point of being downright vindictive. Things in blue have been my personal experince.

Address labels/ stickers
Lottery/Gambling/Contests/Sweepstakes
Excessive puzzles or coloring pages (limit2) (Clipping of the New York Times crossword puzzle will be returned)
Stickers/Glitter/Confetti/White Out
Stationary Items
Lyrics
Exceeds 4"x6" Photo limits
Carbon Paper
Nude Photos
Internet material (this includes anything printed from a PDF file or anything that changes a font during a letter. I’ve had short stories that I typed out returned)
Blank cards or Postcards
Food Items
Glue or Adhesives
Perfume/Cologne/Scented items
Tobacco or Tobacco products
Photo Copies
Graphic/Detailed Sexual Behavior (includes any Ann Rice books)
Hardback/Leather or Vinyl Bound Books
Exceeds 25 Photo Limit During Incarceration (they are not strict on this, sometimes they’ll return photos when your guy only has 12 photos)
Blank Greeting Cards
Semi Nude Photos including babies/children (they are serious, don’t send pictures of your 6 month old unless they are completely covered. Think baby burka)
Gang Signs/Symbols/Hand Gestures
Glorify Murder/Sex Crimes/Gangs (this includes famous books)
Obscene/ Offending Jokes (the inspectors are easily offended)
Cash or Personal Checks
Gel pens/Metallic ink/Paint (children writing with crayons is a major no-no as well)
Lipstick/Bodily Fluids
Polaroid Pictures
Postal Stamps
Inappropriate Poses (can be anything an inspector doesn’t like, and I mean anything)
Violent Content (includes classic works of fiction and non fiction books)
Exceeds 8.5X11 limits (don’t use a legal pad to write, makes it near impossible to send legal documents on
Standard 8.5x14 format)
Construction Paper (letters from inmates 5 year olds have been sent back because of this)
Sexual Explicit Material (had a post card sent back because of a woman in a bikini from 1954)
Altered/Scratched out Endorsed (but expect to have pictures returned altered and scratched up)
Cut up Photos
Displaying Excessive Cash
Unknown Substance
Not Conducive to Rehab (they can reject anything they dang well feel like)
No foreign languages or code (Pig Latin is considered a foreign language)


Inmate to Inmate Mail/3rd Party/confiscated
Exceeds 1000 Pages
Intoxicants Displayed
Promotes Racial Hatred
Food Stamps
Advocates Riots/Insurrections/Escape
Maps/Transportation Schedules
Advocates Drugs
Survival Information
Welfare or Social Security Checks
Weapons
Advocates Violence
All magazines or books have to come from the publisher or reputable bookseller with an invoice. I have had magazines sent back to the publishers address with a note saying "Must come from publisher"

They are only allowed 5 books or magazines in a 30 day time span

All letters must have a return address, inmates committed name SBI number and correct institutional address.

You can only send mail via standard USPS

Thans for the information.....I am new and just learning. My brother is in Gander hill......he told me my mail I sent was coming back to me because I put a cut picture in the envelope......with a letter. Is it true no legal pad paper? Thanks
maria