I sent Fathers Day Cards they wer returned . I called prison they said I needed to include name of Prison on envelope..... So I remailed.. and made sure I had everything on frontof envelope they requested keep in mind Ive never included name of prison since he was transferred to that place...Well today they were returned again with the only explanation of return to sender.....I sent a book... also which was mailed from book company which they called to tell me it was returned Can anyone tell me whats going on at Easterling or if theyve mailed anything that has been returned in the last 2 weeks I havent had a problem til then :(

rene dear, you didnt take TA TAHS 101, once youve completed that course ALL mail gets through!! sorry you are having such a time....

rene...my son was at Easterling for a short while....I think they have alot of stupid rules that are not always the case in other prisons. I was told not to send anything but stamps and money orders and to make sure I used the complete address and dorm and bed number..and of course the AIS number. Lysbeth or Care9 will probably know more about the rules.

Kay

Rene
My husband has been at Easterling for about 11 years. PM me and I can help you figure this out if you want. It's true, they have the dumbest rules and they seem to change like shifting sand on any given day. But maybe I can give you some insights because like I said, we've got a lot of experience there unfortunately.

Care

rene
everything I have mailed for the ;ast two weeks has been returned also< I have tried calling up there but it has been busy every chance I get to call, My ole man has been there for 4 years and this is the first time it has happened I have not changed the way I address his mail so I am not sure what is going on. I sent one fully addressed with name of the prison with hte street address and the old po box number two it had a money order in it and some stamps it also had news that his aunt had passed away well it came back with everything but the stamps. so if you find out what is truly going on let us know it would be greatly appreciated.

Carrie

Hi Carrie (Good to see you again!)
Anyhow, My husband has been getting his mail, although last week he complained that he hadn't gotten any all week when I knew I had written. They finally caught up with him. But that is verrrrrrrrry strange. Also, I know that Drena' has been sending mail to her uncle and he is getting it, so ????? PLEASE let us know how this turns out!

Care

HI Care, nice to hear from you again, so this is what I found out about the mail and why I was having a problem I was not spelling out Easterling corr facility I was using ecf on my mail and the would not let it go through after 5 years they decided to change it and not tell anyone.. I hope that helps..
Carrie

Carrie,
UNBELIEVABLE!! Even for Easterling, this is ridiculous. I ASSUME it is they who returns it? Or could it be the post office in Clio? Either way, glad you got that figured out, good grief.

Care

Care
It was the prison itself returning the mail and the would stamp but not put a reason by it. I swer that they are trying to ruin families with their insane rules. they don't care who they destroy as long as the wicked witch is in power, two of the envelopes were even openned and the books of stamps were missing. it was sad because of the letters I was trying to let him know his aunt had passed. I really do hate that place and pray we can get a transfer away from there.
Carrie

im just curious cause i had one letter returned when joe was in, does that negate the stamp you used on there, if so thats a HUGE waste of money and you would think something could be done,,,

as far as the stamp it was not usable again because easterling was kind enough to take a black marker and cross it out, I got mad and asked my mail carrier why the post office would do such a thing and she informed that the prison had to have done it. I am not that mad over the 5 wasted stamps used to send the letter but the 2 books of stamps that came up missing out of one of those letters, it was 15.00 worth of stamps they got off us and probably resold them to someone.
Carrie

you know ive never had that done to me but i just about believe i would ban together as a group and all send conglomorations of letters to them....to adoc or somewhere, that would burn me to no end

I am still sort of away right now but wanted to weigh in on this. I feel everyone who has someone at Easterling and has had to deal with this should write a letter to or call Commissioner Campbell's office about it. Fact is, if the street address is good enough for the post office to get it there (and it is), and the AIS# and bed/dorm # is on the envelope, there is NO reason why the mailroom should be returning mail just because it doesn't have the facility name on it. If it's good enough for the post office then it should be good enough for their mailroom, and the past two weeks of them sending back mail has cost prison families god only knows HOW much money in postage expenses.

The address we have all been using is correct by US Postal Service standards and if it's good enough to get mail to the facility, then the mailroom should not be returning it. Everyone should be complaining about it and probably ask the ADOC to reimburse the postage costs that have been wasted due to the Easterling mailroom (NOT the US Postal Service) sending them back. There is NO excuse for this. They won't reimburse anyone, of course, but that would get the point across.

Here is the e-mail address...dcampbell@doc.state.al.us I hate this has happened to you all and there should be something done about it. There is no sense in treating anyone like that. I would also let him know how they make up their on rules just to make it hard on the family members. Be sure to let him know about the book of stamps being taken and not sent back with the letter. :angry:

Oh, I forgot to add here... books aren't allowed to be sent into Easterling. Go figure.

I honestly don't know why this place is still being allowed to be run the way it is...

Lys,
Well I think books can be sent if they come from the publisher. Unless that has changed since I knew THAT rule, lol. And now that he is in the Faith Dorm, (get THIS one!) the Chaplain has to approve of any book beforehand and that even includes a BIBLE. Can you believe it, the Faith Dorm and a BIBLE has to be approved beforehand even if it is coming from the publisher. (You never know, it could be porn in disguise you know!) Good grief.

Care