Why Attorneys Must Photocopy Third-Party Documents for Mail to Blackburn (and How to Avoid Sending Contraband)

Kentucky DOC has seen a clear pattern: drugs smuggled into facilities by soaking paper in chemicals, then mailing it in. Once inside, that paper gets broken into pieces and circulated. This isn't hypothetical. These chemicals can cause serious illness or death. That's why mail rules focus so heavily on what paper enters the prison - and where it came from.

2

• ✓ Take reasonable precautions to make sure any letter or parcel you send does not contain contraband.

At Blackburn, the safest approach is straightforward: only send what you (or your trusted staff) created. If you didn't generate the document yourself, don't include it in legal mail - unless it's an official document from a trusted source, like a birth certificate, death certificate, or affidavit. Here's where attorneys get tripped up: originals from third parties. Kentucky DOC is explicit on this point. Don't put an original document from a third party into a letter or parcel going to a correctional facility - unless it's one of those specified official documents. The paper itself may contain drugs.

1. Treat third-party paperwork as “copy-only” - if someone sends you something to pass along to your client, assume the original should stay out of the mail.
2. Make a clean photocopy - copy the full document so your client gets the information without the risk that can come with the original paper.
3. Keep the original in your file - retain the third-party original for your records rather than putting it into the envelope.
4. Mail the photocopy to your client - send the copy instead of the original when you’re forwarding a third-party document.