Hello Donaldson families & loved ones!

We could use your help in getting some updated info on visitation and other information on this facility.

As you have probably noticed, at this time we literally have nothing but contact info - the prison's address, phone number, and warden's name - in our sticky for this facility.

What we would LIKE to have for this facility someday soon is something along the lines of this sticky for St. Clair:

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182547

... especially specifically:

- Visitation Hours (or a general idea of how their schedule runs)

- Visitation Rules (especially if there are some major differences from what you see there at St. Clair)

- Whether or not they have a segregation unit ("the hole")

- Rules for inbound and outbound mail (limits on pages of letter, envelopes, pics, etc., and how mail to the inmate should be addressed)

- What can be sent in or out through the mail (especially books, paper, envelopes, pens, etc.)

- Can they have stamps sent in, and how many and how often

- Whether there's any difference in the procedure for sending money orders in

- And any other info you think would be helpful along all these same lines.

Pretty much most of the rest, like general stats about the prison, we have access to, but we could really use your help in getting some information together for this facility much like the one in the link above to St. Clair.

So please let us know if things are pretty much the same at your facility, or if there's differences and what they are. Feel free to just add to this post as needed if you can help!

Thank you!

Visitation for Ad Seg is every third friday of the month. Not sure about GP visitation. Books can be sent in from the publisher or book store, none from home. 2 books of stamps a week, money orders the same as St. Clair. No packages sent from home must be ordered from a company, inmate should have information on that. 20 sheets of paper, 20 envelopes and 4 pens ( clear only ) at one time. Not aware of a limit on pages in a letter, no polaroids and no explicit pictures.

- Visitation Hours are split between 2 visitsation periods per weekend day, depending on what letter the inmates last name begins with. If you're visit falls on a morning visit, visits are from 8-11, and afternoon visits are from 1-4. However, you must be at the prison at least 1 hour prior to visit. The wys they allow visitors in is a long and tedious process and so being present one hour before assures you a spot.

- Visitation Rules are the same as all other max. security state prisons, however Donaldson is notorious for being extra picky with what is considered acceptable. NO white clothing or anythign light colored. Avoid hoodies as they sometimes turn people away for them. No open toed shoes, no real short sleeve t- shirts, nothing skin tight and no light colored pants. Also, no jewelry of any kind except a wedding band.

- Donaldson has a segregation unit and visitation is every third Friday of each month.

- Rules for inbound and outbound mail are as follows: ther is no limit of pages per envelope. There is a limit of of photographs per envelope which is 18 per envelope, PER WEEK. Nothing explicit. You can send 20 envelopes per time. 40 stamps per envelope and no limit as to how many they can recieve. 2 pens (clear barrel) per envelope. Books must be sent directly from a publisher. If books or magazines are sent from home, they will be rejected.

The procedure for sending money orders is as follows: you must be on approved funds list. Money order must be made payable to the inmate and signed by the person who is on the approved funds list. The return address must also be addressed from the person on the inmates approved funds list. It takes about 2-4 days for the funds to be processed onto the inmates books from the time they recieve the money order.

Hello ladies I really appreciate your info but I have run into some problems with some of these things so I thought I would write what I was told by the mail room lady at Donaldson (which was really nice) First off my love wrote me and said I could send 10 envelopes, 1 book of stamps, 1 legal pad of WHITE paper, and 2 clear pens, in a large legal yellow envelope. Well I called the mail room and they told me everything was right but NO pens no matter what. And you can not send preaddresed envelopes. I thought it would make it easier for him if they were already for him to send out but they will not allow it. Also they will not give your loved one the whole legal pad but they will give him 4 sheets a day till the pad is gone LOL.

They just recently cut out pens at Limestone as well so that's not surprising.... probably a statewide edict for all facilities that were allowing that.

Thanks for the new info, will incorporate that into the info sticky whenever I find some spare time to update :)

Thanks Lysbeth, I also wanted to tell you guys, It was really funny in a way I was told 10 envelopes but last time I sent some I sent 11 just to see what happened and I just heard he got all 11 LOL sorry the little things really make me smile now-a-days. Yall have a GREAT Thanksgiving!!!!!