Get Involved with Prison Inmates Online » Discussions » Looking for people to share prison mail rules.

• Prison Inmates Online

  

  Leader
   

  08-17-2011

  Do you write to an inmate that is at a prison that has a bunch of mail rules as to what you can and cannot send? We are building a page for every prison in the USA and we would like you to share that information with us. Let us know what prison you are writing to so we can create the page, and then you can update it with your knowledge!

  Do you write to an inmate that is at a prison that has a bunch of mail rules as to what you can and cannot send? We are building a page for every prison in the USA and we would like you to share that information with us. Let us know what prison you are writing to so we can create the page, and then you can update it with your knowledge!
• Guest

  
   

  01-28-2012

  VA state prisons: NO more than 1 ounce of correspondance per envelope. (This will go on one first class stamp....and dont bother to add more stamps for the extra weight. does not matter...only one ounce per envelope allowed.) No greeting card bigger than 5x7. Unsure if 5x5 greeting cards will go as they require more postage. No 6x9 envelopes--although these only require one first class stamp for 1 ounce of contents. No more than 3 pics per evelope, but you can send as many cards or envelopes or pics per day...as long as they are in separate evelopes each weighing no more than 1 ounce. BTW...VA weighs the envelopes rec'd...so even if the US postmaster says it is ok...if it doesnt pass correct weight on the VA scale, then it is returned....if you are lucky. (see below) WHO would have known these rules? Not me....until this happened this Christmas (2011) when i sent my "12 Days of Christmas" package of greeting cards to my friend in VA state prison. I rec'd this info from the VA prison mail room staff when i called to inquire why my one manilla (6x9) envelope w/ correct postage added by my local US post office was returned to me.....19 working/business days later!!!!. The envelope contained 12 individual Christmas cards (one for each of the 12 days before Christnas... & a special card to open on Christmas Day--when there is no mail call.) Seems VA allows only certain size envelopes and the 1 ounce per envelope rule. Even IF the extra postage is attached, it is not ok. The lady in the prison mail room that I spoke to was very kind but felt the need to chastise me for not reading the online rules for pen-pals. I"ve pals & friends in 7 states...it never even occured to me that such strigent rules would even exist! i've never had a problem with anything like this before. On occasion, for other states, I have called for a question here or there...but who thought an inmate could not receive more than one ounce of correspondance (unless legal ppwrk) in one envelope at a time? What would have prompted me to think this was a rule and call to get the info? I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe I am living in the stone ages? She also stated to be careful in adding a letter or picture with a card as it could put the weight over the 1 ounce rule. And, finally, in an act that i thought was just plain cruel or mean....they (the prison) actually weigh each envelope to verify it is not over 1 ounce. So....even if the post office let it slip through, the prison will stop the correspondance. I had to mail all his cards and puzzles and trivia and pics ALL separately...that is for the ones that came back....at least 3 or 4 envelopes were somehow "lost" (as i mailed the one big envelope of cards plus several individual envelopes with trivia, puzzles, pictures, etc) and he never rec'd them and i never had them returned to me...although ALL had a return address for me. It was very disappointing to say the least. i had planned for months to get all these items together and special for each pal...and my VA guy was shorted by these "rules". As i said....never even imagined such rules existed. Please be careful when sending items in VA state prison system....I guess it explains why they do not allow Jpay emails. Sorry this is long....I guess I am still hurting from not getting him the Christmas fun I had planned so long to give him. Does anyone have any idea why these things would even matter? Why no more than 1 ounce? Why not bigger than 5x7 for a greeting card? Why no limit on pics being sent as long as it is only 3 pics per each evelpoe? I know I am upset over this, but it seems like VA state does NOT want inmates to receive mail. Anyone have family or friends in VA? What are your thoughts? Sorry this was so long. PLEASE be careful if you are new to mailing items to VA state inmates.

  VA state prisons: NO more than 1 ounce of correspondance per envelope. (This will go on one first class stamp....and dont bother to add more stamps for the extra weight. does not matter...only one ounce per envelope allowed.) No greeting card bigger than 5x7. Unsure if 5x5 greeting cards will go as they require more postage. No 6x9 envelopes--although these only require one first class stamp for 1 ounce of contents. No more than 3 pics per evelope, but you can send as many cards or envelopes or pics per day...as long as they are in separate evelopes each weighing no more than 1 ounce. BTW...VA weighs the envelopes rec'd...so even if the US postmaster says it is ok...if it doesnt pass correct weight on the VA scale, then it is returned....if you are lucky. (see below) WHO would have known these rules? Not me....until this happened this Christmas (2011) when i sent my "12 Days of Christmas" package of greeting cards to my friend in VA state prison. I rec'd this info from the VA prison mail room staff when i called to inquire why my one manilla (6x9) envelope w/ correct postage added by my local US post office was returned to me.....19 working/business days later!!!!. The envelope contained 12 individual Christmas cards (one for each of the 12 days before Christnas... & a special card to open on Christmas Day--when there is no mail call.) Seems VA allows only certain size envelopes and the 1 ounce per envelope rule. Even IF the extra postage is attached, it is not ok. The lady in the prison mail room that I spoke to was very kind but felt the need to chastise me for not reading the online rules for pen-pals. I"ve pals & friends in 7 states...it never even occured to me that such strigent rules would even exist! i've never had a problem with anything like this before. On occasion, for other states, I have called for a question here or there...but who thought an inmate could not receive more than one ounce of correspondance (unless legal ppwrk) in one envelope at a time? What would have prompted me to think this was a rule and call to get the info? I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe I am living in the stone ages? She also stated to be careful in adding a letter or picture with a card as it could put the weight over the 1 ounce rule. And, finally, in an act that i thought was just plain cruel or mean....they (the prison) actually weigh each envelope to verify it is not over 1 ounce. So....even if the post office let it slip through, the prison will stop the correspondance. I had to mail all his cards and puzzles and trivia and pics ALL separately...that is for the ones that came back....at least 3 or 4 envelopes were somehow "lost" (as i mailed the one big envelope of cards plus several individual envelopes with trivia, puzzles, pictures, etc) and he never rec'd them and i never had them returned to me...although ALL had a return address for me. It was very disappointing to say the least. i had planned for months to get all these items together and special for each pal...and my VA guy was shorted by these "rules". As i said....never even imagined such rules existed. Please be careful when sending items in VA state prison system....I guess it explains why they do not allow Jpay emails. Sorry this is long....I guess I am still hurting from not getting him the Christmas fun I had planned so long to give him. Does anyone have any idea why these things would even matter? Why no more than 1 ounce? Why not bigger than 5x7 for a greeting card? Why no limit on pics being sent as long as it is only 3 pics per each evelpoe? I know I am upset over this, but it seems like VA state does NOT want inmates to receive mail. Anyone have family or friends in VA? What are your thoughts? Sorry this was so long. PLEASE be careful if you are new to mailing items to VA state inmates.
• Prison Inmates Online

  

  Leader
   

  01-28-2012

  Wow! Great information, thanks for sharing!

  Wow! Great information, thanks for sharing!
• Guest

  
   

  07-18-2012

  What is the mailing rules for these states: Lovelock,NV.,Bythe CA. Beaumont, TX.,Mendota, CA., Wisconsin(Thompson correctional Center)? What all can they recieve and what can they not? And please let me know I am not really sure what all they can.

  
  

  Thank you for your time!

  What is the mailing rules for these states: Lovelock,NV.,Bythe CA. Beaumont, TX.,Mendota, CA., Wisconsin(Thompson correctional Center)? What all can they recieve and what can they not? And please let me know I am not really sure what all they can.

  Thank you for your time!