Can You Send Pictures in Prison Letters?
If there is one thing inmates love to receive from their family members or friends, pictures can serve as a visual source of inspiration during their time in federal prison. An inmate would prefer a photograph from a family member than receiving a letter in the mail.
However, with every aspect of an inmate’s life in prison, there are strict rules for sending photos and pictures to federal offenders.
Correctional facilities have a big problem with people sending in contraband in the most creative ways. For this reason, many prisons have cut down tremendously on what you can include in your inmate correspondence.
Everything you send to an inmate is opened and thoroughly checked by staff before getting to the inmate. If you don’t follow the guidelines, your mail may be returned or destroyed. While the specific rules on inmate correspondence vary depending on the facility, sending pictures is very similar.
Technical Restrictions and Rules for Sending Inmate Photographs
Prison administrators may discard your photograph or picture before it gets to the inmate because you didn’t follow the prison’s rules and restrictions when preparing to send the picture.
Let’s discuss the technical restrictions and rules for sending inmate photographs;
First, you must print any picture you want to send to an inmate on plain white paper or photo paper sheet.
Polaroids and double-sided white papers or photo paper sheets, and any paper that can strip off are not allowed. Inmates sometimes use such communication techniques to sneak drugs and other illicit substances in liquid form, in between sheets.
You are also not allowed to send images larger than 4″×10″. Depending on the stamp you are using, you can send five pictures with the same stamp and one envelope. This will probably not be so big an issue you are unlikely to send multiple photos at one time.
Another regulation for sending pictures to inmates is the number of pictures and photographs the inmate will receive. Some federal prisons may be lenient and allow an inmate to receive more than ten images.
It is also important to note that many jails have strict rules concerning the number of pictures and photographs an inmate can keep as a bookmark in prison. Therefore, you need to ensure that sending images won’t put the inmates on the wrong side of the law.
Prisoners are also not allowed to keep pictures of themselves because of security and safety concerns. If another inmate acquires these pictures, they may use the picture to sell out the inmate to his enemies in prison or create a fake identity to help them break the law.
Another thing that can make the picture you send to an inmate not eligible to be delivered to the inmate is the envelope you use to send the picture. It should be plain white with no labels, markings or any form of writing other than the address information.
You should attach or place any stickers, labels, or seals on the envelope as some prisoners use this method to sneak illicit drugs and substances.
Content Restrictions and Rules for Sending Pictures to Inmates
What type of pictures can you send to inmates in federal prison?
On top of the above rules regarding the paper’s image physical properties of sending pictures to inmates, the prison administration will also thoroughly check the basic information on these pictures.
While the restrictions and rules are administered depending on the correctional facility the inmate is currently serving jail term; these guidelines are applicable in most situations;
Pictures that insinuate or openly display notorious behavior are returned or confiscated. Those photos include any images that could trigger violence. Photographs visualizing any form of animal abuse are also not allowed and will be destroyed or returned. Though not essentially violence-related, photos with gang labels or implications such as tattoos are also prohibited and will be confiscated or done away with.
Similarly, photos or pictures depicting anything about drug and substance abuse from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and many others will not be allowed in federal prison. It may seem obvious, but you can easily overlook a very little detail in a photograph, like a piece of cigarette or a bottle of beer at the corner of a family get-together.
Sexually explicit pictures and photographs are also not allowed not unless it’s just the basic things like those in movies and tv shows. When it comes to sexually explicit images, some correctional facilities only prohibit complete nudity. In contrast, others may not allow any kind of picture that is in any way sexually suggestive to be received by federal offenders.
Your best option is not to send photographs you wouldn’t mind anyone seeing. The pictures you find are quite reserved and composed.
Pictures displaying any information about the location or infrastructure like map, blueprint, or any other physical make up of the institution inmate are incarcerated in, or just another prison are not allowed and may have consequences.
In addition, any pictures or photographs displaying techniques, tools, and ways to help the inmate in attempting to escape from prison will be confiscated. Still, they could also result in you or any other person involved in making the pictures or photographs charged.
Lastly, the pictures you want to send to an inmate should not include the inmate or any other person who has been jailed before or has a criminal history.
What Kind of Pictures Can You Send to Jail?
Even though several restrictions regarding the type of images you can send to an inmate might make you have a second thought about sending pictures to an inmate, you can still send them any other picture you can think of.
Here is an idea you will want to consider when sending pictures to inmates;
Federal offenders will definitely love and appreciate the photographs from friends and family members. They will serve as an inspiration and hope for life after prison.
Additionally, remember to take pictures whenever attending special events or doing activities that you know the inmate would appreciate.
However, ensure that none of the people in the pictures are involved with the inmate’s crime.
Final Thoughts
These are the basic rules and restrictions that apply no matter where the inmate is incarcerated. However, depending on the inmates’ specific circumstances, further restrictions may apply. JPAY offers the best corrections-related services in the United States.