Prison Pictures: What Can You Send?

You are about to send some photos to your favorite prison inmate, and you would like to know what is allowed and what is forbidden. Depending upon your state, there may be a limit to how many photos they can own at one time or how many photos you can send in one envelope. Be sure to check with your Department of Corrections before you get them in any trouble.

No sexually explicit photos. While different states allow more than others, even lenient states do not allow genitalia, bare buttocks or nipples to show, even through semi-sheer material. This includes g-strings, thongs or anything which does not fully cover genitalia or private areas. Also, buttocks have to be fully covered, so boxer shorts are allowed, whereas bikini bottoms may not be. Prisoners who have committed sex crimes may have different rules than the rest of the population, so you may have to inquire after the rules concerning your specific inmate.

Watch the rules. While you may not think it matters if you are the one breaking the rules of the prison since you are on the outside, bear in mind that even though you will not get in trouble, your prisoner will. They are required to see to it that visitors, guests or family members are kept aware of the rules and if you behave in violation of these, their ass is on the line, not yours. Also, watch out to not send anything gang-related, as that is strictly forbidden in prison.

Watch your safety. Even if you send photos to family members in prison, other prisoners have access to and can steal from their belongings. Whether you are sending pictures to a family member or just a pen pal, be sure to not send anything which could put you in danger in any way. This includes not writing last names on the back of the photo and being aware of the background scenery of your photo. Many inmates are expert at determining the exact location of a picture by the background scenery and clues which can be found in the photo. When writing to your prisoner, do not use your house address, but rather a more central post office box. Even if you are writing to someone you trust, everyone has an enemy and in prison, those enemies have access to your photos and letters.

Always check with your local state Department of Corrections to find out the rules concerning number and type of photos allowed. Send your inmate updated pictures, so that they have a good idea of what you look like now, instead of what you looked like three years ago. If you accidentally send an inappropriate photo, make sure to send all of your photos separate from your letters, so that difficulties in processing do not delay your letters.

Sources:

http://www.dc.state.ks.us/