Prisoners’ Families Must Write Extra Tiny

A new rule in Lee County, Florida, my home county, would restrict all inmates of the Lee County jail system from receiving incoming letters. After April 20th, they’ll only be getting postcards, not exactly the same thing.

Pen pals of Lee County Jail inmates should start stocking up on postcards.

Starting April 20, that’s the only kind of personal mail they’ll be able to receive.

Pictures will have to be printed on postcards, and envelopes won’t be allowed, unless they contain legal correspondence.

Capt. Tom Eberhardt, assistant commander of corrections services, said the new policy is in response to the biohazard threat that locked down Charlotte County Jail last month when a mail clerk fell ill after opening a letter containing a white powdered substance.

“That’s happening more and more in the country because of the times we’re living in,” Eberhardt said. “We’re doing this for the safety and security of the staff and the inmates.”

This is, too put it lightly, an overreaction. For one thing, there was a white powdered substance in Charlotte County (just up north from Lee), but it wasn’t a biohazard. Tests are still being done on the powder, but it wasn’t anthrax, it just happened to have a negative effect on the mail clerk.

Secondly, Charlotte County, where the powder came, has just changed their mail checking procedures up a bit, and now requires a full return address on all mail. So they’re not too panicky.

But also, as the News-Press editorial says, this is an unnecessary, “draconian” measure, and probably illegal as well.

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the First Amendment right of inmates to receive publications as long as they don’t jeopardize prison safety. A U.S. District Court ruled against the state of Washington’s attempt to ban “gift publications,” a ruling upheld on appeal.

The editorial mentions that many people in prisons are not necessarily guilty, but just couldn’t make bail and are awaiting trial. But even for the ones who are guilty, so what? Because someone gets caught with some pot does that mean they should have their contact with the outside world cut off? For prisoners in the Lee County system, and most other prison systems, phone conversations are severely restricted. They’re done by collect, expensive, and timed to be quite short. Letters are the only way to have a real correspondence, especially if your family doesn’t live close by.

I also wonder what will happen for those inmates taking correspondence courses, which is not all that unusual. Sometimes people are trying to better themselves, but they need a way to do it.

If you’d like to send Lee County Sheriff Michael Scott a note about this policy, information about how to do so is here. Remember to be polite. And feel free to help spread the word.

Update: Welcome, LGM, Alternet, Pandagon, and Prison Talk readers.  I’m glad so many people have picked up on this issue.  Up above you can send e-mails (or letters or postcards) to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.  There’s been a lawsuit filed with the ACLU.  The inmates are protesting the policy, but they’d appreciate support from the outside.

Tags: lee county, prison, prisoner's rights