INMATE MAIL RULES AND REGULATIONS

All correspondence must go through the U. S. Mail.
Unacceptable mail will be returned to sender.

Correspondence is encouraged. It is important for all concerned to communicate and the best means to accomplish this is through the mail. Security staff is required to inspect both incoming and outgoing mail. This generally does not include reading the mail, but the reading of mail may occur when there are concerns for inmate and/or facility safety and security, violations of law or when there is a requirement that the behavior of an inmate be monitored.

Postage-Offenders must purchase pre-stamped envelopes through the commissary. If an offender is completely without funds and is considered indigent he or she may order and receive, through commissary, two stamped envelopes per week.

Packages Containing Personal Property- Unless previously authorized by a supervisor, packages addressed to inmates lodged in the Main Jail containing personal property or clothing will be returned to the sender. Packages addressed to Forest Work Camp or Community Correction Center offenders will be forwarded to those locations and processed according to their program rules and specifications.

Books, Magazines and Newspapers- Numerous books and magazines are available to offenders within the common areas of the housing units. Acceptable publications MUST be pre-paid, new, soft bound and mailed to the offender directly from a verifiable commercial publishing source or distributor. Publications will not be accepted if mailed or delivered by a second party. Receipt of these items will include a complete inspection or examination for any illegal substance, unacceptable text or any other form of contraband. Lane County is not responsible for the cost incurred for returning unacceptable items. The offender may be charged for the return of unacceptable items.

Acceptable Items- Items that can be received by mail include acceptable publications, written correspondence, plain cards, most photocopies, drawings made of pencil or regular ink and standard photographs (4x6 or smaller, no more than 10 at a time, non-Polaroid).

Unacceptable Items- Items received that include any of the following materials will be refused in their entirety and returned to the sender.

Material unacceptable for regular mailing with the US Postal Service.

Material that may incite violence or discrimination, based on race, religion, creed or nationality or which may create danger of violence and physical harm.

Prohibited items may also include but are not limited to those that contain escape plans, criminal conspiracies, threats of extortion, plans for making weapons, attempts at assaults or plans for introducing contraband.

Material that is likely to produce or incite lawless action. Lawless action includes escape, violence, riots or anarchy. Material that depicts methods of manufacturing firearms, explosives or other weapons or that approves their use in a disruptive or illegal manner. Any material that contains life-size and realistic replicas of firearms or other weapons.

Material that, if delivered, could compromise the safety or security of this facility, personnel or inmates.

Nude photos or other pictorial depictions of genitalia, including women’s breasts. This policy also prohibits publications containing photographs or drawings depicting sex, excretion, sadism, masochism or that otherwise go beyond the customary limits of decency.

Catalogs, advertisements, brochures, promotional materials, pamphlets, sweepstakes, contests, and other materials where the primary purpose is to sell a product or service and when taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, religious, political, educational or scientific value are prohibited.

Credit or deferred billing transactions: mail involving credit or deferred billing (e.g. “bill me later” or “payment after delivery”) transactions for the purchase of/subscription to publications (books, newspapers or magazines) or other items or merchandise is prohibited. Mail prohibited under this subsection includes:

Outgoing requests or purported agreements to enter into a credit or deferred billing transaction.
Incoming publications or other items or merchandise, including promotional (e.g. free gift or premium) items given in exchange for purchase of subscription, which are accompanied by a billing or other statement requiring payment upon delivery or at a later date.

Otherwise acceptable mail or publications containing a business reply envelope or reply card will be distributed to you after the envelope or reply card has been discarded.

Other examples of prohibited items are: newspaper and magazine clippings; most catalogs; stickers; scratch-and-sniff paper; bookmarks or business cards made with any material other than standard paper cardstock; glitter; drawings made with crayon, colored pencils or other types of art medium; food items; glue; tape; paper clips; rubber bands; cards with glitter, glue or plastic fronts that cannot be inspected; postage stamps; envelopes; blank writing paper or cards; unofficial or decorative ink stampings; etc.

Any substance that is foreign to authorized mail items including lipstick, crayon, watercolors, paint, correction fluid, unknown stains, perfume/cologne, etc. is prohibited.

Administrative Review- Pursuant to Lane County Adult Corrections Policy and Procedures, a sender who has received a Mail Violation Notice may obtain an independent review of the rejection of correspondence by writing to the attention of the Security Supervisor at 101 West 5^th, Eugene, Oregon 97401-2695, and requesting an administrative review.

Administrative review shall be available to the intended inmate recipient only for correspondence rejected because of its written or pictorial content. A request for an administrative review must be in writing and be received within 7 days of the date of the notice, and should specify the reason(s) the rejection should not be sustained. The rejected correspondence and/or prohibited item(s) must be submitted with the review request. If no review is requested, the sender may correct or remove the portion of mail that violates the Lane County Adult Corrections rules and send the non-violating mail back to the offender.

Any person supplying contraband into a corrections facility is subject to criminal prosecution in accordance with ORS 162.185.

Lane County, Oregon	eGovernment