Jail Mail Controversy Continues

A Sheriff’s Office regulation limiting mail to jail inmates to postcards continues to provoke blowback from those with incarcerated family members, many of whom have spoken at the last two county supervisor meetings. They include a woman named Marissa Garcia who organized a group called Right to Write that has begun a petition on change.org. Her husband is in jail, and she read a letter of his during public comment on Tuesday. Another woman said that her jailed son’s daughter gives her letters to send without realizing that her father never receives them. The purpose of the regulation is to cut down on contraband smuggling.

This story was amended on August 29, 2013 because it erroneously stated that postcards must be limited to 3×5 inches. There is, in fact, no size limit. It also stated that the reason for the regulation was to reduce workload. According to Sheriff’s spokesperson, Kelly Hoover, “The policy in fact does not reduce the workload for Custody Staff but does increase its efficiency with distributing mail and conducting searches.”