regulations concerning the sending and receiving of mail and to establish a clear understanding
of his correspondence policies. At this time, the DD Form 499 will be filled out.
(1) Authorized correspondents should include the prisoner's immediate family. These
persons should uniformly be approved by the facility commander unless disapproval is required
in the interests of safe administration, the prisoner's welfare, or furtherance of his correctional
treatment; for example, it may be wise to disapprove a brother as an authorized correspondent if
the brother has a criminal history and is confined in a penitentiary. Cases of this nature should
be closely examined by the facility commander who must exercise good judgment. Other
persons may be approved by the facility commander as correspondents when it appears to be in
the best interest of the prisoner, providing that such correspondence does not pose a threat to the
security and control of the individual or the facility. No limitations will be imposed as to the
number of authorized correspondents except as necessary to maintain security and control.
(2) There will be no restrictions placed on the number of letters prisoners may write to
authorized correspondents except as necessary for security and control and to prevent delays in
processing the mail. Prisoners are authorized to retain reasonable quantities (as prescribed by the
facility commander) of mail in their immediate possession and will not be required to
immediately destroy. However, they will be given the opportunity to forward it at personal
expense to an authorized correspondent for retention. If unable to forward the mail, it will be
destroyed.
(3) Prisoner's incoming mail, with the exception of privileged correspondence, may be
opened and the correspondence read by the certified handler. Rejection of mail, incoming or
outgoing, on the basis of content is authorized only when it is determined detrimental to the
security, good order, discipline, or correctional mission of the institution, or when it might
facilitate criminal activity. Any incoming mail, which, upon inspection, is found to contain
vulgar or obscene language or depictions, violation of postal laws, blackmail, contraband or
threats, will be rejected. A certified mail handler may examine the outside portion of both
privileged and nonprivileged mail to determine the authenticity of the addressee.
(4) Prisoners are required to inform their prospective correspondents of articles they are
permitted to receive as determined by the facility commander. Valuables or other costly articles
received through the mail that are not authorized will be returned to the sender at the prisoner's
expense or destroyed. The prisoner will be notified, in writing, and a notation entered on his DA
Form 1132R (Prisoner's Personal Property List Personal Deposit Fund). Upon receipt of
articles not authorized for retention, other than valuables or costly articles, the prisoner will be
required to authorize disposition by storage with personal property if space is available, by return
to the sender at personal expense, or by destruction. Only certified checks and money orders will
be deposited to his personal account.
(5) Prisoners that are not permitted to have postage stamps in their personal possession
will have their mail handled as described below.
(a) An individual stamp account for each prisoner in a pay status is initiated and
maintained by the mail clerk (see figure 4-1 [Back]). Those prisoners in a pay status are required
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