How Families Can Help with 'Kites' (Inmate Request Forms) at Marysville City Jail

At Marysville City Jail, a “Service Kite” is an inmate request form your loved one can use to ask for help or information through the jail’s normal request process. The jail’s handbook describes these request forms as something inmates can access using the terminals located in the housing pods.

Your loved one can submit a Service Kite using the terminals in the housing pods. If they can’t use the terminal for some reason, the handbook also says paper Service Kites are available upon request, so they can ask for a paper form. Keep in mind that staff may ask what the request is about to decide whether a kite is needed at all - sometimes an officer may already have the information being requested.

That language rule matters more than people expect, because it affects whether the request gets processed at all. When you’re helping someone put a kite together, aim for neutral, respectful wording - even if the situation is frustrating. Stick to what they need and the basic facts, and leave out insults, sarcasm, or anything that could be read as obscene or offensive.

How Families Help

• ✓ Proofread the kite for profanity, obscene wording, derogatory comments, or anything that could be taken as offensive
• ✓ Keep the request clear, neutral, and fact-based so it’s easy for staff to understand
• ✓ Confirm whether your loved one will submit the request through the housing pod terminal or needs to ask for a paper Service Kite

The biggest “make-or-break” issue is tone: the handbook is clear that kites with profanity, obscene, derogatory, or offensive language won’t be accepted, so cleaning up wording can save time and headaches. It also helps to know the submission method ahead of time - Marysville City Jail uses housing pod terminals for Service Kites, but paper forms are available if requested - so your loved one can use the option that actually works for them in the moment.

If a kite is rejected, the handbook points to one common reason: forms containing profanity, obscene, derogatory, or offensive language will not be accepted. When you’re helping from the outside, the most useful thing you can do is help your loved one rewrite the request in plain, respectful language so it has a better chance of being processed.