Several Oregon County Jails go to postcards only!

[Zelda50]

I've sent you a PM. Zelda

[Zelda50]

Originally Posted by dscottsw

It's the drugs and gang messages (which people still try and smuggle via the mail) which has resulted in this "draconian" new set of rules.

I don't think it's the "drug and gang messages" that caused the new set of rules - it's the county Jail's way of trying to reduce their staffing costs to go through the mail, I believe - like opening the envelopes and skimming the letters. And it's a ridiculous ban. A lot of county jail have deputized sheriffs doing that job - they could hire someone not in the deputies' union and save money that way. It seems more to me like just one more way to discourage outside contact by inmates - and that isolation leads to higher recidivism rates when the inmates are released.

There was a really good letter to the editor in the Oregonian the other day - from a former Coffee Creek inmate. She talked about how her letters back and forth with her children was so important when she was incarcerated - and led to her reunification with her family upon her release - and her successful reintegration into society even to this day. Those are the kinds of things the jailers should be thinking about.

[*Precious*]

It's understandable that Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters and 11 of his Oregon counterparts have restricted jail prisoners to postcards to communicate with family and friends outside. It's also understandable that critics find this to be unnecessarily harsh treatment of people who need all the support and encouragement they can get to turn their lives around.
It seems to us that a reasonable middle ground could be found that addresses the concerns of the sheriffs and advocates for jail prisoners.
The sheriffs argue that jail staff must open and read all mail received and sent by prisoners, and that the staff time could be better spent on more important tasks. That's hard to argue with. Prisoners have little else to do than write letters.
Critics of the policy say prisoners may not wish to write about personal matters on a card that can be seen by anyone, even though they know their letters are opened and read by jail staff. It's unlikely that postal workers have much time to spend reading postcards, especially with the automated machinery now used to sort mail.
The limited writing space is a stronger argument. It's hard to pour out your heart on a 5- by 8-inch card.
The American Civil Liberties Union is studying the issue to decide whether to file a lawsuit contending the restriction violates prisoners' rights.

To read more:
"Find a Middle Ground" MailTribune.Com (February 25, 2010), http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs...311/-1/NEWSMAP.

[Zelda50]

It's more than just "pouring your heart out." It's things like describing the problems your child is having in school or with his peers - and what the teacher said at the parent-teacher conference. Or the struggles you're having over your mother dying of cancer. It's much more than what the media portrays when it comes to communicating with a family member in prison!! That's what they're not "getting." Z.

[You'remyheart]

postcards.. thats just dumb!

[Hans Bell]

Hello
I´m german and not very familiar with prison and judical terms. Ecuse me, if there are some mistakes in my writing.

I sendet serveral letter into Umatilla County Jail in 2010. I did not recieve any answere yet. What will have happend to the letters they don´t deliver letters any more to the prisoners?

Please I really need an answere

Kind regards

Hans Bell

[grannyG]

Originally Posted by Hans Bell

Hello
I´m german and not very familiar with prison and judical terms. Ecuse me, if there are some mistakes in my writing.

I sendet serveral letter into Umatilla County Jail in 2010. I did not recieve any answere yet. What will have happend to the letters they don´t deliver letters any more to the prisoners?

Please I really need an answere

Kind regards

Hans Bell

If the letters were refused at the County Jail, they should have been returned to you. It is extra postage for international mail and your friend may not have had the money for the special envelopes with the postage. Maybe that is why your friend hasn't responded. Or, maybe if you are still waiting for your letters to be returned, it could be because of the longer time for the international mail issue. It would also depend on the mail regulations in your country, as to how the letters are handled.

[Hans Bell]

Originally Posted by grannyG

If the letters were refused at the County Jail, they should have been returned to you. It is extra postage for international mail and your friend may not have had the money for the special envelopes with the postage. Maybe that is why your friend hasn't responded. Or, maybe if you are still waiting for your letters to be returned, it could be because of the longer time for the international mail issue. It would also depend on the mail regulations in your country, as to how the letters are handled.

Thank you GrannyG for answering,

I already got the idea that she would not be able to answere.

So i continued writing, because I think it will help her to recieve a letter once in a while. I write since January and no letter was returned yet. And there was no notification that the letters where put to her personal items.

Can they put them just there without telling...?

How many books can I send her by Amazone for example.
I did one in February and got no feed back nor from Amazon neither from the jail. So it must have reached her? or not not?

Thank you for your answere..
Hans