Hi Everyone,
I'm new here and haven't introduced myself (sorry), but I just have to vent a complaint. I have been writing my mom for 20 years and over the past 2-5 years...the mail standards have just gotten STUPID. Here is what I have encounted in a nutshell....you cannot:

1. put stickers on your letters (I used to do this all the time and surprise out of the blue...my letter comes back and says no stickers) wasted postage and effort of pouring my soul into writing a great letter to my dear mom. Stupid thing is...the stamp and my return label are stickers!!! I know if I pointed that out then we would have to write everything and buy prepostaged envelopes. But it is just stupid...we all know that the guards are the ones that sneak things to the inmates anyway...right.

2. I just got back two letters because I stamped and used markers to color the envelope. Apparently you cannot color in your letters because you can put drugs on the paper and then cover it with marker or crayon and the inmate eats it. This incedent made me SOOO mad, because my mom went an entire month w/o mail. Apparently it takes 2+ weeks to get your letter returned to you for some reason. I had no idea that she didn't get my letters!!!!!:angry:

3. Because of the above statement...my boys cannot color a simple coloring book picture to send to Grandma. I'm don't even try to send a drawing or anything.

4. Also, I love to make cards. Stamping etc....but guess what...no homemade cards. No ribbon...I've had homemade cards sent back...talk about wasted effort and a ruined card.....

I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting. They just change the rules w/o telling us and everyone pays for it. It just makes me so mad!!! On top of that it is like we are not allowed to do ANYTHING that shows our loved ones how much we love them and not allowed to spend any extra effort into our letters etc....

Thanks for letting me vent! :rolleyes: Carmen

HEY! Welcome to AR PTO!

Yeah, I've learned that it sometimes depends on the person working the mailroom. I can usually tell when they get a new person!

--cessna

Hello and welcome...I really hate to hear that. My daughter is 3 and I just put a picture in with my letter today that she painted with watercolor last night for her dad. I'll be really upset if they start to return those types of things. Those pictures she colors for him are so special for both of them. She just loves "writing" her daddy a letter and he loves getting them!!

I agree, it depends on who is in charge at the time.

2 weeks ago my grandson, 15 years old got turned away at visitation for wearing shorts. These shorts were mid shin length. Longer then capris women wear. So my hubby took him to buy jeans. I knew he couldn't wear shorts but wasn't present to screen things.

This visiting day I watched as 3 different women where let in with capris, tights, and a koolotte thingy that where all shorter then what my grandson was wearing. Go figure. Also they were focusing in on shoes this time. You can have open toed but no open heels. So some women were sent away while one woman with high heeled open toed sandals was let thru. Now I had on Crocs and put the strap down around the heel and they never even noticed. But they let tops thru this time that I had seen turned away 2 visits before. Low cut, capped sleeved, short waisted, I know maybe I should have started a new thread in the visitation forum but I do believe it depends on the persons working that day what is let thru mail/visiting etc. We need consistancy if nothing else.

I've worn flip flops to see my mom in the past. Why the heck does it matter what shoes we are wearing. At least you can't hide anything in flip flops. I don't understand at all. It is like we are punished for having a loved one in.

Hello and welcome...I really hate to hear that. My daughter is 3 and I just put a picture in with my letter today that she painted with watercolor last night for her dad. I'll be really upset if they start to return those types of things. Those pictures she colors for him are so special for both of them. She just loves "writing" her daddy a letter and he loves getting them!!

I hope not, but I want to hear if it does get returned. It is just so infuriating!

I just talked to him and he got the letter with our daughters painting. She's 3 so the letters to her dad consist of paint, markers and colors on notebook paper. If any of them get returned, I'll let you know.