A few pointers for those who are new to sending out postcards, cards or letters to the incarcerated Loved Ones:
*NOTE: If any member chooses to still use their own personal return address, then M.I.S.S. will not be held liable!*
2. Contraband Mail: NEVER send money, money orders, Green Dot numbers, U.S.P.S. stamps, stamped blank envelopes, blank paper and/or envelopes to the Freedom Challenged. You could be the center of a County, State or Federal investigation for the importation of contraband items into a correctional facility.
3. Unauthorized Mail: NEVER send oversized, musical, handmade, decorative, lit, recorded or pop-up cards. NEVER send cards, letters or inserts with lipstick kiss prints, cologne or perfume scents, glitter, glue, crayon, confetti, or decorative stickers, including sticker type address labels.
They are all methods of bringing contraband drugs into a correctional facility. You could be the center of a County, State or Federal investigation for the importation of contraband items into a correctional facility. Their mail will be rejected and returned to the sender.
4. Mail Restrictions and Types of Correspondence: Some correctional facilities do not allow cards or letters, or only allow plain, blank pre-stamped USPS postcards. If that is the case, it is your responsibility to let the Birthday and Holiday Card Coordinators know. We will add a notation along with their address of any restrictions. And please, ONLY send what is designated for that particular facility. Otherwise, their mail will be rejected and returned to the sender. Rejected mail costs THEM money – they have to pay for it out of their account.
5. The Freedom Challenge’s Right to refuse mail: Unfortunately, not every one of our Freedom Challenged Loved One WANTS letters, cards or postcards from strangers. It is not up to us...It is up to them and they are asked this question at intake. We all have to honor that. If you are new to M.I.S.S., before you ask the Birthday and Holiday Card Exchange Coordinators to add your Freedom Challenged Loved One to the list, please clear it with your Freedom Challenged Loved One first. We’ve have had several instances where members have had to pull their Loved Ones off the list after the fact. It wastes money, time and resources, and can cause pain and anger with our Freedom Challenged, which is not the point of these card exchange programs.
6. Card tip: Many people buy seasonal packets of cards at Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, or any Dollar Store and Wal-Mart to save money. Many times I buy blank packets of cards with a picture on front and just write what I want inside. You can even buy just notebook paper and just send a birthday note. I can guarantee anything you send will be loved.
7. Stuffing the envelope: A reminder that when you put the cards in the envelopes, put it in FOLDED EDGE FIRST, with the card opening at the envelope top.....The DOCs use mail opening machines to open the mail, and I know my kid has have gotten TWO pieces of a card, and then sometimes it's hard to read and then harder to save and re-reread....which they do, A LOT.
8. TIPS from the BOP website:
Make sure:
•that the address the inmate's name as it appears on the Department of Corrections records (no nicknames)
•Include the inmate's SID, DOC or BOP number (Be aware – those in jail sometimes do not have numbers yet)
•Insure that the name of the prison is correct
•insure that the correct prison address is on your card’s envelope
•A return address must show the complete name and address of the sender;
•Do not send unauthorized enclosures (blank paper, self-addressed stamped envelopes, pornography)
•Envelopes cannot be more than ¼” thick and should be white.
•No stickers (including return address stickers), glitter, crayons, glue, pop-up, musical, handmade or decorative cards are not allowed
• NO scent (perfume or cologne,) or lipstick on either the envelope or content is not allowed.
•The envelope must not contain more than ten of any of the following items:
o Pamphlets
o Letters
o Photocopies
o Photos
