I got a letter from the State of Washington Department of Corrections today. As I opened it, I realized that it's a Mail Restriction Notice and the reason stated: Unauthorized offender to offender correspondence. I was like, "What!?" I'm NOT even in custody, I'm a friend (I'm very much so free.) of the inmate I was writing to! Then I read the fine print at the bottom of the form, the comment stated: Glitter/gel pen used. Oh! My Lord! :eek: Let it be a Joke! I was shocked to see that glitter pens aren't allowed! (HEAVY SIGH)
Then I read other restrictions that I was and still am surprised about that will restrict our mails to inmates in Washington.... The reasons are: criminal discussion of plans, mail that is in code or in foreign language that can't be translated successfully, sexually explicit cartoon or written material, stickers, any book clippings, photocopies or carbon copies! Jeez... I didn't realize that they are SO strict over LITTLE things!

That is way to sad. My husband is in prison in texas and I use all different color pens etc... To make the mail interesting for him. On fourth of July I wrote his letter in red and blue on white paper. Like what kind of secret code are we going to send them in there. They have enough control over are men, women, children and friends at least let them enjoy their mail. Jeanne

This is just the begininng......
Let this attest to what all of us WA gals are complaining about all the time!

The reasons are: criminal discussion of plans, mail that is in code or in foreign language that can't be translated successfully, sexually explicit cartoon or written material, stickers, any book clippings, photocopies or carbon copies! Jeez... I didn't realize that they are SO strict over LITTLE things!
I will agree that glitter pens are LITTLE things but not everything on the list is.
Each facility has their own quirks. I have found it helpful to call whatever facility Fellah is in and talk to the mail room for the rules. Saves alot of time and let's you know exactly what to send.

It can be frustrating to write aletter in the wrong ink, and have it returned. In all my years of mailing letters, I have only had one rejected.

JJT

WOW!! :eek: They banned glitter/gel pens??????? Geez... Jerry wouldnt be able to recieve any of my mail if that rule applied in his institution. They can be so petty sometimes. I understand their rules about stickers, but c'mon... pens and their colours... CRAZY!

Glitter pens are banned in Australia as well. I asked one day why are they banned, and they told me that people try and hide drugs, like LSD under the glitter pens, or anything glued down (They cut off the stamps on mail here in the prison).
I guess its some people that have ruined if for others, if there had been people putting drugs under stamps and glitter pens, and things glued :(
On the other hand, isnt all the mail gone over by drug sniffer dogs? :confused:

I use glue and stuff on my letters to Winslow, although i did panic that he would not get it - but he did. It is a shame that things are the way they are.

My goodness, talk about nit-picking!!

That is too sad for them to have such restrictions on the mail. I can send my sweetie just about anything and use any type of pens. I am always sending him stuff off the internet and from the newspaper. They are too picky.

I think that it all depends on who is in the mail room and how busy they are. There have been times when i have sent in newspaper article to Jerry and then on another occassion theyve sent me one back. I can stick stickers on the envelope but just not on the letter (he gets the sticker too). I send him loads of stuff from the net, including news articles that i print form NYTimes. It really does depend on their workload and their mood! :(

It is crazy! The mail room lady made sure to tell me if I send in greeting cards to make sure they have no glitter on them or any cut outs on the card as they won't get through

well I wouldnt be smart enough to write a code, ever tried a crytogram?? Gosh I have been sending tthose to him, wonder if they took them? Glitter pens, jeepers. I did send a watercoloring that I did with the moon made out of wax not cheese, :) wonder if they will think it's something other than a waxy moon. Oh well. it wasnt that good anyway. I have some stickers I wanted to use. Do you think they will allow those?

ON another note, I do have to commend the prison staffs efforts. If something is smuggled in and hidden in my son's bunks or whatever he could be blamed. So as far as I am concerned, I will abide by the rules, as soon as I figure out what the rules are. :)

Now that's just stupid.

I wrote a ten page letter to my hubby in red ink, put it in an envelope, stuck a tiny piece of tape to close it... (I had been doing this for MONTHS) and they returned it saying no tape... okay, so I put it back in another envelope and mailed it out again. Once again it was returned this time with a note saying I couldn't write in red ink. OMG! What is wrong with these people....

Another reason glitter pens are banned......

Some mail gets scanned, and when glitter ink is scanned, it reflects the light of the scanner and messes up the copy. Because SOME mail needs to be scanned... ALL glitter pens are not allowed.

I suppose that would be the same reasoning for colored ink on colored paper.

JJT

Early on I sent a bunch of family photos to my husband at Sheridan and had them returned because they were in plastic sleeves. No big deal, but I noticed the form they sent had boxes for them to indicate what was wrong and they included: Body hair, plant material and sexually explicit materials... Do you guys think about sending body hair????

Well, I have heard of girls sending locks of their hair, so I suppose THAT is considered "body hair".

Now, on the other hand, if someone were sending PUBIC hair, well, then I would have something to say, lol. :eek:

Washington state does not allow gel pens-jail or prisons, they cut the stamps off all the mail, so a person cant send the cute stamps. No stickers, anything that has been printed off the internet must be cut off the top and bottom of page so they cant read the email notes. They are very strict here so always contact the prison where your person is and get the rules.

i put stickers all over my bf's letters, but then i wrote a lovely poem about how i look at the stars each nite and think about him before i went to bed and wanted him to be able to do the same, so i loaded the paper up with glow-in-the-dark star stickers, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED! he did get the poem, but they had removed EVERY single glow-in-the-dark star on the page! whats that about???

girls i have a solution to the sticker problem i use stamps i get from craft store there not that expensive and they are a lond they look like stickers but they are not and they can't be removed

That's crazy! I use them all the time... even the smelly ones, glow in the dark, milky, and the glaze ones*new*.. the ink puffs up when dryed... Next they are going to tell us that we have to start using standerd white paper!!! I use all colors even black!! I'm so gald we haven't ran into that problem at CA Atwater... I feel for the ones that have to go through that*bummer*!

Bookiesgril! WHAT! Stickers that smell are STILL IN PRODUCTION????????? Wow! I thought they stopped making that in 1995's!?!?! Ooooh, where can I get 'stratch & sniff' stickers??? No, not for inmate mail but for Christmas mailings! Smile.

Darn, BriansGirl, you're a GENIUS!!! Now I'll get some stamps from a craft store! :D

Nawna, what??? They cut off stamps!? You mean my friend didn't see the cutey ones nor upside-down ones!? Oh, man!

Photocopies???? How do you send a copy of legal materials if that is not allowed???

ChandaMija, I ment smelly gel pens... But as for the stickers they still make them you just have to keep your eyes open and grab them while you can*smile*.. The last ones I brought where StrawBerry Shortcake classic. Try Walmart, Micheals, Art supply store, Scrapbooking store, or even your local groceystore... I found mine at our local one :idea:

Sad!! Sometimes the rules just do NOT make sense.. and sometimes contradict themselves.. Like the whole sticker on the envelope, but not on the letter.. what the hell?? *shakes head*

I have been lucky with Texas.. I sent a letter in an envelope that i hade cut and pasted all sorts of pictures and crap (like a collage).. and it got through thank god.. I worked hard on that!! *Phew* :D

Well sometimes things get through and others they don't.... It all depends on who is shorting the mail... *laughing*