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Can an inmate receive mail?

Inmate mail is addressed in Article 4 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) and Chapter 5, Article 41 (Page 94) of the Departments Operation Manual located at our web site:

http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Regulations/Adult_Operations/docs/DOM/DOM%20Ch%205-Printed%20Final.pdf

The inmate may receive the following first class mail at the institution:

Photographs (no Polaroid)

Calendars

Postage embossed envelopes, maximum of forty

Blank envelopes

Writing paper/tablets (white or yellow lined only - no cotton papers

Typing paper (no cotton paper)

Legal paper

Children's drawings

Forty postage stamps (personalized postage stamps will not be accepted)

Can I send books to an inmate?

CCR Title 15 Section 3134.1 covers the mailing in of books. Books must be soft covered and sent from a departmentally approved book distributor, book store or publisher. Additional information may be located in DOM, Chapter 5, Section 54010.8.

Books must be sent in directly from a book distributor.

Inmates may have only 10 books in their possession. When they receive new books, they must turn in their old ones. These old books must be donated or sent home at the inmate's expense. Most inmates donate their books to the library, etc.

Most families use Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, which are both reliable book vendors. If you are having a book sent in from a college or some other non-traditional book distributor, please check with the prison first.

Book shipments are not considered Quarterly Packages or Special Purchases. There is no limit per quarter on book shipments; the only restriction is that inmates may have no more than 10 books in their possession at any one time. If your inmate can read 10 books a week, then you may send in 10 books a week! Of course, R&R may be backed up, and he/she may not get them every week.....so be careful about getting backed up!!

When you send in a box of books from a distributor, it comes into the mailroom. The mailroom staff sorts all the different packages out, and sends them to the various departments. Books go to R&R and are logged in there. They go through R&R because books are considered 'personal property'. The inmate will receive a 'ducat' to go to R&R, where he/she will be able to pick up the books and trade in his/her old ones. This process may take some time. Whenever the mail gets backed up, R&R also tends to get backed up. This is especially true during holidays, lockdowns, etc.

Can an inmate have personal property?

Every inmate is allowed to have personal property as long as they adhere to the requirement of having no more than six cubic feet of property. The type and amount of personal property an inmate may have is covered in California Code of Regulation, Article 9, beginning with section 3190. The personal property is identified in more detail in the Departments Operations Manual, Chapter 5, Article 43 page 120. This article is broken into prison missions, Reception Center (section 54030.17), Levels I, II, III, Male Conservation Camps and Community Correctional Facilities (section 54030.18), Levels III/IV (section 54030.19), Female Offenders Program (section 54030.21), and High Security and Transitional Housing (section 54030.20). For questions regarding allowable inmate property at an institution, please view: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Regulations/Adult_Operations/docs/DOM/DOM%20Ch%205-Printed%20Final.pdf

Property includes, but is not limited to, items such as personal clothing, personal care/hygiene items, food, games, jewelry, appliances, or books.

Inmates are required upon request by institution staff to properly account for all personal property registered in their name and number. If an inmate fails to account for personal property registered in his/her name and number, or is in possession of property which is not registered to him/her they may receive a disciplinary action. In addition any property not accounted for on the inmates property receipt is considered contraband and subject to confiscation.

Personal property not meeting the criteria in section 3190 of the California Code of Regulations, will be disposed of by either mailing the property to an individual willing to accept the property (if the inmate has sufficient funds in his trust account), returning the item to the sender if the inmate has enough funds in his trust account, donating the property/items to a charitable organization as designated by the prison or to the prison, or disposing of the property/items according to prison procedures.

When property is considered contraband it will be retained by staff until the completion of all disciplinary, investigative, or due process and court requirements, and then be disposed of according to prison procedures.

Can I send a package to an inmate?

Receiving personal property packages is a privilege for an inmate. Refer to the privilege chart for further information. An inmate may receive personal property packages, 30 pounds maximum weight each, per year; exclusive of special purchases and based upon his privilege group, from approved vendors. Inmates may review vendor catalogs at the prison and inform family of their requests. The approved vendor list may be located on our web site at: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Visitors/Approved_Vendors.html

Delivery by staff of packages and special purchases will be completed as soon as possible, but not later than 15 calendar days, except during holiday seasons such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, and during lockdowns of affected inmates. (California Code of Regulations section 3134.1)

Inmates are allowed special purchases of authorized personal property items from locally-approved special purchase vendors. Individuals may not send in packages directly, the package must be sent by an approved vendor. Special purchases may include health care appliances prescribed by prison health care staff, legal reference material, books, and legal pads not available in the institution canteen, correspondence courses (subject to approval by a supervisor of correctional education programs and designated custody staff), religious items (subject to approval by institutional chaplain and designated custody staff), entertainment appliances and Musical Instruments, (based upon privilege group and/or security level/institution mission). (California Code of Regulations section 3190)

Inmates in privilege group D or in Administrative Segregation or Security Housing are eligible for a personal property package after completion of one year of Privilege Group D assignment. (California Code of Regulations, Article 3.5, Section 3044)

Can I send money to an inmate?

You may send in funds, money order or personal check, with the inmate's name and CDCR number on the form to be deposited into the inmate's trust account. You may send funds electronically through one of three companies:

  • JPAY at www.jpay.com
  • WESTERN UNION at www.westernunion.com
  • ACCESS SECURE DEPOSITS at www.inmatedeposits.com

You must have either a credit or debit card to use this service. Before mailing in a personal check or money order please be sure to check if the institution has a separate post office box address to receive money orders as some require this.

When an inmate has a Restitution Fine and Direct Order Collection a portion of any money you send in will be used to pay that fine or collection. Effective January 1, 2007 and thereafter, when an inmate owes any obligation pursuant to a restitution fine imposed by a court, the department shall deduct 50 percent or the balance owing, whichever is less, from the inmate's wages and trust account deposits regardless of the source of such income. In addition, an administrative fee of 10 percent of the deduction shall be deducted to reimburse the department for its administrative costs, for a maximum deduction of 55 percent. The amount deducted, less the administrative fee, shall be transferred to the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board for deposit in the Crime Victims' Restitution Fund in the State Treasury. (CCR § 3097) You may contact the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board at 800-777-9229 or www.victimcompensation.ca.gov.

Source: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/ombuds/arrival.html

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