Lesson 6 Processing Mail PDF

Lesson 6 Processing Mail Lesson Goal You will be able to process mail in a correctional facility. Think About This A college professor wanted to send surveys to inmates for a research project. The mail packets were simple: they contained only the paper survey and a pre-stamped envelope to retur...

Lesson 6 Processing Mail Lesson Goal You will be able to process mail in a correctional facility. Think About This A college professor wanted to send surveys to inmates for a research project. The mail packets were simple: they contained only the paper survey and a pre-stamped envelope to return the sur- vey. The facility’s mail processor caught the mistake immediately. What was the problem? Types of Inmate Mail ✅ CO606.1. Know the types of mail an inmate may receive in a correctional facility Inmates are allowed to receive three types of mail: routine, legal, and privileged. Routine mail—includes all mail received by inmates, such as letters, magazines, news- papers, periodicals, and book subscriptions that have not been tampered with and were received directly from the publisher or supplier. Routine mail is the most common type of mail in a correctional facility and comes directly through the postal service. Legal mail—contains confidential information concerning legal matters and includes mail to and from municipal, county, state, and federal courts as well as state attorneys, private attorneys, public defenders, legal aid organizations, and agency clerks. Privileged mail—consists of correspondence to and from public officials, government agen- cies, and the news media. Privileged mail is delivered to a facility by the U.S. Postal Service. Processing Mail There is no limit to the amount of mail that an inmate may receive, but there is a limit to the amount of mail that an inmate may possess. All mail must be sent through the U.S. Postal Service. ✅ CO606.2. Process inmate routine mail to include inspecting for contraband When mail is received by the mailroom or mail clerk, it must be logged. All mail is opened by designated staff and is examined for content and to prevent introduction of contraband. People inspecting mail should use PPE to prevent exposure to contaminants, such as fecal matter, blood, and body fluids or other hazardous materials that may be found inside or outside of mail. Some hazardous materials are harmful if inhaled, but they may not be easily recognized. One example is fentanyl, which, in a fine-powdered form, can be fatal if inhaled and left untreated. Use caution when opening the mail, and never smell the contents to identify it. Chapter 6 Supervising in a Correctional Facility / 175 The content of the mail is scanned for pornography, information about criminal activity, codes, threats to the facility, threats or evidence of extortion against staff or other inmates, and escape plans, including dates, times, or arrangements for clothing and transportation. It is also scanned to ensure victims or witnesses are not contacting the inmate. When inspecting mail for contraband, check the texture of the mail to determine if it is brittle or stained. An odd texture could indicate the presence of drugs, body fluids, or hidden messages. Inspect stamps or stickers placed on paper and envelopes to determine if any alteration has been made. These are potential concealment sites for contraband and can be laced with drugs. Drugs or other substances can be concealed in the glue of the stamp and envelopes, in the folds of the paper, as watermarks, between two pieces of paper glued together, or in concealed areas within poly-bubble envelopes. No mail is delivered directly to the inmate before inspection. Once the mail is cleared, it is sent to the housing area. The identification of the inmate is verified, and the mail is delivered. Delivery methods vary between agencies and must be handled accord- ing to agency policies and procedures. ✅ CO606.3. Process inmate legal mail Legal and privileged mail is handled differently than routine mail. While you may inspect the outside of the envelope, you can open it only in the presence of the inmate to whom it is addressed. When the inmate opens the envelope or package, you can inspect it for contraband, but you must not read the content of legal or privileged mail. Document that the inmate received the legal or privi- leged mail on the Incoming Legal or Privileged Mail Log. Legal mail cannot be withheld from an inmate for disciplinary action and must be delivered within 24 hours of receipt. To ensure that the legal mail is authentic, confirm the letterhead has the proper return address and a raised seal or watermark, and verify that the correspondent is a legitimate legal source. Inmates can receive packages only with special permission. The packages must be sent through the U.S. Postal Service. All packages should be thoroughly searched for items such as drugs, cell phones, money, and inappropriate photographs. Outgoing Mail ✅ CO606.4. Process inmate outgoing mail In the same manner as incoming routine mail, outgoing routine mail should be inspected for contra- band and security violations. Mail should be scanned for adequate postage and proper address format of the sender and recipient. Inspect the mail to make sure the correspondence is allowed and that the address is legitimate. Mail may be held to make sure it is legitimate. Forward approved outgoing mail in accordance with agency policies and procedures for delivery. Mail should be processed only through the U.S. Postal Service and never personally carried out of the facility. 176 / Florida Basic Recruit Training Program (CO): Volume 1 Confiscation of Mail ✅ CO606.5. Know how to confiscate incoming and outgoing mail in a correctional facility Any mail that violates agency policies or threatens security may be confiscated. If the mail contains unauthorized items (such as too many photographs), return it to the sender with a copy of the mail rules. Confiscate any illegal items found in mail. Disciplinary action could follow, and the confis- cated item may become evidence in a disciplinary hearing or criminal case. Make sure to use proper evidence-handling procedures. If you confiscate outgoing inmate mail due to a rule violation, contact your supervisor. All mail—routine, legal, and privileged—must comply with facility rules. An inmate may correspond only with approved people. Inmates must receive special permission to contact one another by mail. For example, a husband and wife who are both incarcerated must get permission before corresponding. However, correspondence with victims or witnesses and between codefendants and security threat group members is prohibited. Depending on the circumstances, other legal restrictions may apply to inmate communication. Kickback or three-way mail is a common method used by inmates to send unauthorized communi- cations to other inmates within the same facility or other institutions. The sender uses the intended inmate’s location as the return address on the envelope and includes a deficiency such as insuffi- cient postage, requiring the envelope to be returned. The envelope is thus returned to the intended inmate instead of the sender. Check the return address before returning mail to an inmate and note if the return address is for another housing unit or facility. Chapter 6 Supervising in a Correctional Facility / 177