Policy Statement

It is the policy of the Idaho Board of Correction that the Department of Correction will provide supportive services to inmates in an equitable and fair manner. Services are important in the care and treatment of inmates and can assist in the rehabilitation process.

  Terms Defined

General mail
All mail other than special.

Special mail
Correspondence to or from the president or vice president of the United States, members of the U.S. Congress (except bulk mailing), embassies and consulates, governors, state attorneys general, U.S. Department of Justice, members of the state legislature (except bulk mailing), courts and court staff, legal departments of cities and municipalities, attorneys, Idaho Parole Commission staff, Idaho Board of Correction, and the director or facility heads of the Idaho Department of Correction.

Contraband
Items prohibited or not authorized by departmental procedures or law, specifically including, but not limited to:

• Items received in a letter or package not authorized by policy or directive.
• Received packages without prior authorization.
• Publications or items which describe the manufacture of weapons, bombs, explosives, escape materials, or the manufacture of alcohol and drugs.
• Publications or items evidencing gang involvement or activities (e.g., enemy lists, constitutions, structures, codes, signs, symbols, photographs, drawings, training material, clothing, etc.).
• Publications or items which advocate that any ethnic, racial, or religious groups are inferior for any reason and make such groups an object of ridicule and scorn; and it may be reasonably thought to precipitate violent confrontation between the recipient and any other inmate and a member or members of the targeted group. No publications will be withheld solely on the basis of their appeal to a particular ethnic, racial, or religious group.
• Publications not mailed direct from the publisher or a bookstore.
• Magazine, book, or newspaper clippings of any size, except those which refer to immediate family, such as wedding and birth announcements, obituaries, etc.
• Stickers of any kind (paper or non-paper), postage stamps, and envelopes, except stamps that were attached to the envelope for mailing and return address labels.
• Greeting cards that are padded, laminated, musical, or larger than 8"x10".
• Photographs larger than 5"x8" and those instant photographs with layers.

Authorized items
Items other than correspondence allowed to arrive through the mail (excluding packages):

• money orders or cashiers' checks.
• photocopies.
• photographs (5"x8" or smaller) except instant photographs with layers.

There is no limit on the number of photocopies of legal documents. Other documents are limited to five (5) letter size copies.

Prohibited Mail
Offenders are prohibited from using the mail for the following:

• Receiving any contraband or anything of an illegal or threatening nature.
• Soliciting or accepting any publication or item which has not been paid for in advance.
• Obligating themselves or others to time payments.
• Joining or participating in book, record, tape, or CD clubs, either personally or via a third-party.
• Soliciting or accepting anything of value without written approval of the facility head or designee.
• Sending any item other than correspondence (written mail) out of the institution without the written approval of the facility head or designee.
• Sending or receiving mail for another offender (i.e. third-party).
• Sending or receiving mail with coded messages.
• Information related to the crime or sentence of another offender.
• Directing or conducting any business operations, except as necessary to protect real property or close out a business.
• Receiving mail delivered collect-on-delivery (COD).
• Sending mail by COD.
• Sending mail via any provider other than the U.S. Postal Service (for example United Parcel Service (UPS) or Federal Express (FedEx)).

Prohibited Sexually Explicit and Pornagraphic Material

• Sexually explicit and pornographic material includes books, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, or any other publication or any personal pictures, drawings, or photocopies of any of these items that depict or feature nudity or sexually explicit conduct.

  • Nudity in this SOP means a pictorial depiction where buttocks, genitalia or female breasts are exposed.

  • Feature in this SOP means that a publication contains depictions of nudity or sexually explicit conduct on a routine or regular basis or promotes itself based upon such depictions in the case of individual one-time issues.

  • Sexually explicit in this SOP means a pictorial depiction of actual or simulated sexual acts including sexual intercourse, oral sex, or masturbation.

  • Pornographic material also includes individual pictures, photographs, or drawings of nudity or sexually explicit conduct that are not part of a book, pamphlet, magazine, periodical, or other publication.

  Note: Publications containing nudity illustrative of medical, educational or anthropological content may be excluded from this definition. 

  Publications, drawings, photocopies, and other pictorial materials that contain pictorial depictions where the female breast is partially exposed are permitted using the following guidelines: bikini tops, halter tops, or covered by other means such as the woman’s hands or arms, or other items that provide similar covering are permitted.

  Pasties, shear see-through clothing, or where any part of the nipple or areola are visible are not permitted.

  Publications, drawings, photocopies, and other pictorial materials that contain pictorial depictions where the buttock is partially exposed are permitted using the following examples as guidelines:  Bikini bottoms, shorts, French-cut panties/swimwear are permitted.  Thongs, g-strings, etc. are not.

  Publications, drawings, photocopies, and other pictorial materials that meet the description of nudity in this section, but the person has clothing or other covering that is transparent or virtually transparent, are not permitted.

Prohibited Outgoing Mail
The facility head can prohibit outgoing mail that falls within the following categories:

• Correspondence with minors where the minor’s legal guardians object, in writing, stating that they wish the correspondence to be discontinued.

• Correspond with minors, except immediate family, unless the legal guardian has granted permission, which is documented in writing.

•Correspondence with individuals who have filed a written request to have  correspondence discontinued

 

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