DETENTION CENTER MAIL REGULATIONS
Effective July 1, 2017, the only acceptable form of incoming / outgoing personal correspondence will be in the form of a postcard. The postcards can be plain or pictured. Personal incoming letters will no longer be accepted. Any incoming personal letters postmarked after Monday July 3, 2017 will be returned to sender. All postcards must have a complete return name and address. The only exception to this will be privileged mail.
Pictures must be in the form of a postcard. General pictures will not be allowed to be mailed in or dropped off at the facility for any inmate.
All incoming mail, with the exception of privileged mail, must be in rectangular postcard form. Postcards are to be at least 3.5 x 5 and no larger than 4.25 x 6, written in black or blue ink. Postcards must have a complete return name and address. Postcards can be plain or pictured. This is to ensure the safety and security of jail facilities, inmates, and staff.Â
Privileged Mail consists of the following:
- Law Enforcement Officials
- Court officials
- Attorneys
- Legal Representation Groups, ACLU, Prisoner Rights Groups, etc.
- PREA Mental Health or Victims Advocates
- City, county, state or federal officials.
Acceptable STANDARD Postcards
- Metered or stamped
- Minimum size requirements: 3.5 X 5 inches
- Maximum allowable postcard size: 4.25 X 6 inches
- Stamps are removed prior to the inmate receiving the mail
Unacceptable Postcards will be returned to sender.
Types of unacceptable postcards include but are not limited to:
- Greeting Cards, Holiday Cards, and Birthday Cards
- Defaced or altered postcards including adding additional layers or backing
- No plastics or wrappings on postcards
- Postcards with glued or taped material
- Postcards marked with paint, crayons, glitter, cloth, string, or magic markers
- Postcards with labels or stickers, including address labels (excluding postage stamps)
- Postcards with any biohazards, perfumes/cologne (scents) , or lipstick
- Postcards with watermarks or stained in any manner
- Postcards depicting nudity, obscenities, criminal activity, weapons, or gang references
- Depictions containing writing, images, or references that may incite violence, riots, racism, or threaten the security of any Cherokee County Detention Center
- Oversized postcards
- Postcards written in code
Questions:
July 1, 2017. Mail postmarked before July 3, 2017 and delivered after the postcard start date will be accepted and delivered.
Yes. Many types of businesses allow the customer to convert digital images to a postcard format. These types of postcards will be acceptable as long as the images do not violate size or security requirements established in the policy.
No. The only pictures that the inmates will be able to possess must be in postcard form. No pictures are allowed to be sent in or dropped off for any inmate.(Note: the inmates that already have pictures before the change takes place will be grandfathered in and will be able to keep those in their possession as long as they do not exceed their limits.)
Yes. Inmates will be allowed to keep items (10 total) that were acceptable before the change. The policy will affect incoming and outgoing mail received or sent after July 3, 2017.
Inmates may have up to 10 letters, pictures, or postcards at any given time in their possession. They can send out as may postcards or letters as they like.
There will be no change in Privileged Mail.
Privileged Mail refers to mail sent to or received from an attorney or member of the Bar; correspondence from State or Federal courts; correspondence from any holder of public office; mail received from the Citizen’s Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB); internal affairs office; Sheriff’s Office; state, county or federal corrections officials; mail received from law enforcement agencies or their designated agents; federal, state or local government agency representative (i.e. unemployment agency, social services, probation, pardon or parole agency, etc.); and mail received from legal representative groups or organizations, i.e. ACLU, etc. In order for mail to qualify as “privileged mail,” the envelope must have some identifiable markings or title on it (e.g., Mr. John Doe, Attorney at Law; Judge Smith, Ms. Jane Doe, Paralegal, etc.).
