How Legal Mail Works at Boyd Co Detention Center (KY): attorney correspondence and free postage
Legal mail gets special treatment—especially when it involves an attorney or the court. Here's how attorney correspondence and postage work at Boyd Co Detention Center under DJJ mail rules.
Legal mail means correspondence connected to a youth's case or legal rights - especially mail going to or from an attorney. Under DJJ rules at Boyd Co Detention Center, youth can send and receive unlimited legal correspondence. That's a big difference from regular personal mail. What qualifies? The policy covers sealed first-class letters to and from the court and counsel (their attorney), letters to and from DJJ officials and related Justice Cabinet officials, and mail to individuals on the youth's approved list. The "sealed first-class" designation signals that these communications get extra protection compared to general correspondence.
Key point: Youth have unlimited legal correspondence with their attorneys.
Even with legal mail protections, the facility can still check for contraband. For outgoing mail, staff may inspect contents - but they do this in front of the youth before the envelope is sealed. This keeps the process transparent while maintaining security.
Postage is often a stress point for families. Good news: DJJ facilities provide five stamps per youth each week at no cost. That's the standard weekly allowance, separate from legal mail. For attorney and other legal correspondence, the facility provides reasonable postage. Your loved one should be able to send legal mail without you needing to supply stamps for those letters.
Tip: You don't need to provide postage for attorney correspondence - the facility covers reasonable postage for legal mail.
Mail isn't the only protected way to reach a lawyer. Phone calls are typically monitored, but calls to and from legal representatives are the exception. If you're helping coordinate attorney contact, remember: legal communications have protections that standard calls don't.
If legal mail gets denied or delayed, stay organized. Ask staff what the issue is - maybe it's a packaging or addressing problem. Request the reason in writing if possible. Write down dates, names, and what you were told. Keep copies of everything you sent or received. If the problem persists, escalate through the facility's normal channels. Staying calm, specific, and well-documented gives you the best shot at getting legal correspondence moving again.
- ✓ Ask staff for the reason legal mail was rejected, returned, or delayed (and request it in writing if possible).
- ✓ Keep copies of letters, envelopes, and any rejection notices; log dates and staff names.
- ✓ Contact facility administration to ask how to correct the issue.
- ✓ If it still isn’t resolved, submit a formal complaint using the facility’s complaint process.
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