What Happened to Letters? Hood County Jail's December 6, 2023 Mail Policy and What You Can Still Send
If your letters or greeting cards started coming back, you're not imagining things. Hood County Jail changed how it handles personal mail on December 6, 2023. Here's what that means and what you can still send.
Starting December 6, 2023, Hood County Jail began returning all personal mail to sender. Letters, greeting cards, personal correspondence - if you mail it directly to the facility, expect it back.
Action step: Don't send personal letters or greeting cards directly to Hood County Jail. As of December 6, 2023, those items are returned to sender.
One big exception: Legal/Privileged mail isn't affected. If your correspondence qualifies as legal or privileged, it won't be returned under this policy.
Certain packages are also exempt. Books ordered directly from a publisher won't be returned. Same goes for packages from Amazon - those aren't included in the personal-mail return policy.
- ✓ Legal/Privileged mail - not included in the return-to-sender policy
- ✓ Packages ordered through a publisher for books - not included in the return-to-sender policy
- ✓ Packages from Amazon - not included in the return-to-sender policy
- Order through the approved source - Use a publisher when you’re sending books, or place the order through Amazon for Amazon packages.
- Have the vendor ship directly - The exception applies to publisher/Amazon packages, so keep the shipment coming from the vendor rather than from you personally.
- Add the inmate identifier when required - If the order form or addressing requires an inmate identifier, get it first (next section) so the package can be matched to the right person.
Tip: Before you place an order, double-check that the shipment will be sent directly from the publisher or Amazon - not repackaged or forwarded by an individual sender.
Some mail or packages require an inmate identifier number. You can find this on the Hood County Bond Page, listed next to the person's name.
- Go to the Hood County Bond Page - That’s where the jail directs you to find the inmate identifier.
- Find your loved one’s name and copy the identifier - The identifier number appears next to their name.
- Use the identifier on your addressing/order details - Enter it where the vendor or addressing format asks for the inmate identifier, and double-check it before you submit the order.
Even exempt items - legal mail, publisher books, Amazon packages - still go through screening. Jail staff approve all mail before delivery, so follow the facility's correspondence and contraband rules to avoid having items refused or returned.
Reminder: Exempt doesn't mean guaranteed. Items can still be refused if they violate correspondence or contraband rules - even when shipped from a publisher or Amazon.
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