Mail and Messaging Information

Incoming Mail: Items Not Permitted

Any mail containing unauthorized items will be stamped as "REFUSED" and the correspondence will be returned to sender. The letter and unauthorized items will be rejected as a whole. Contraband will be confiscated and held as evidence.

The following are considered unauthorized items:

• Colored envelopes
• Greeting cards
• Letters or correspondence written on colored paper
• Photographs including Polaroid and instant photos.
• Obscene materials, written or drawn, nude pictures or photo-copies and/or pornographic materials, including child pornography
• Pictures or photo-copies containing violence or gang related activities including hand signs
• Mail written in code, or in a foreign language that cannot be interpreted to the extent necessary to conduct an effective search
• Stickers, labels or anything with adhesive including return address labels
• Care packages
• Mail containing a foreign or unknown substance or stain; if the substance is suspected of being a controlled substance, the mail shall be turned over to law enforcement officials
• Any envelope or letter with an odor causing substance like perfume or cologne that permeates the mail
• Personal checks, cash or Collect/Cash on Delivery (COD) items
• Post cards, pamphlets, or business cards
• Mail written in crayon, paint, marker, colored pencil, gel ink, felt-tip or highlighter
• Mail with lipstick imprinted on it
• Items containing glue or white out
• All of the following:
  • Blank paper
  • Colored paper
  • Craft materials
  • Envelopes
  • Glitter
  • Paper clips
  • Parchment or stock paper
  • Plastic or metal
  • Post-it notes
  • Ribbon
  • Staples
  • Tape
• Postage stamps, loose or book
• Flowers, candy or food
• Torn-out book, magazine or newspaper clippings or pages

Explicit Materials

Sexually explicit (pornographic) material or photos are not permitted in the facility. Any mail containing unauthorized items will be returned in its entirety to the sender. Where there is no return address it will be sent to the dead letter file.

Publications & Reading Materials

Reading materials will be permitted into the facility only if they originate from a publisher or bookstore. Family/friends may order newspaper or magazine subscriptions for delivery to the facility and may have books sent in directly from a publisher or bookstore.

No magazines, newspapers or books sent or delivered by individuals will be permitted into the facility. Any packages received or mailed directly from individuals that contain reading materials will be returned to sender if possible. If a package does not have a return address, the offender will be notified and have 2 weeks (14 days) to make arrangements for family or friends to pick it up in the lobby during Business Office hours or otherwise remove it.

At the end of this period, it will be discarded.

Prohibited Publications

Publications that may pose a safety or security risk to the facility, including publications deemed offensive, obscene or inciteful are prohibited. The Director, Warden, Superintendent or his/her designee may declare a publication unacceptable at his/her discretion.