Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Operations Manual

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Chapter 5 – Adult Custody and Security Operations

Article 41 – Inmate Mail

Revised June 5, 2017

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54010.5 Paper, Envelopes, and Stamps for Indigent Inmates

  • Indigent inmate means an inmate who has $1.00 or less in their Inmate Trust Account for 30 consecutive days.

  • Upon an indigent inmate’s request, writing paper, envelopes, a writing implement, and the postage required for five 1 ounce First Class letters per week shall be supplied. Indigent inmates shall only be given the supplies for five letters per week in accordance with DOMDepartment Operations Manual, Chapter 5, Article 43, Inmate Property.

  • Except as provided in CCRCalifornia Code of Regulations, Subsection 3138(h) and DOMDepartment Operations Manual Section 54010.5.2 for mail to the courts or to the Attorney General, indigent inmates may request to mail correspondence that weighs more than one ounce. Indigent inmates must relinquish the appropriate number of indigent envelopes to either their assigned Correctional Counselor or housing unit staff with the item to be mailed. If the item to be mailed weighs more than five ounces, the indigent inmate must relinquish all five indigent envelopes. Staff must forward the indigent envelopes with the item to be mailed to the mailroom with the notation that it is to be mailed for the indigent inmate. In order to facilitate this mailing, if requested, staff shall provide the indigent inmate with one appropriately sized envelope.

  • Foreign mail requiring postage in excess of the minimum required for First Class Mail shall be limited to two of the five letters.

  • Indigent envelopes issued to an inmate become their property. The inmate shall be allowed to utilize the envelopes regardless of current financial status. A charge shall not be placed against future deposits to the inmate’s trust account to recover the cost of materials and postage provided while the inmate was indigent as defined above.

  • Indigent inmates desiring to correspond with their attorney or any other confidential correspondents per CCRCalifornia Code of Regulations, Section 3141, shall be required to utilize their weekly allotment of indigent supplies to send such correspondence.