What you can't send (and how mail is handled) at Siskiyou County Jail: prohibited items, inspection, and outgoing-mail rules

All incoming mail at Siskiyou County Jail is opened and inspected for contraband before delivery. Staff process mail daily except Sundays and holidays, so expect a short delay over weekends. Legal mail works differently. It's still opened and inspected, but only in the inmate's presence.

• ✓ Include the sender’s name and a return address that is printed or stamped (no address labels).
• ✓ Address the envelope using the inmate’s complete booked name (no gang monikers, nicknames, or initials).

Certain items will get your mail sent back. At Siskiyou County Jail, letters are returned if they contain Polaroid pictures, photo collages on paper larger than 4" x 6", pictures with nudity or partial nudity, obscene photos/drawings/writings, or gang-related material. Money is another common issue. Cash and personal checks aren't allowed and will trigger a return.

Want to send a book? The rules are strict. Siskiyou County Jail accepts only softcover books in new condition, shipped directly from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Books from other sellers won't be accepted.

• ✓ Send no more than 5 photographs per letter.
• ✓ Keep each photo no larger than 4" x 6".

Outgoing mail works a bit differently here. Inmates can't seal their own envelopes - staff inspect letters for contraband first, then seal them. Legal mail is the exception. Inmates may seal legal correspondence themselves.

• ✓ The inmate’s name and inmate ID number
• ✓ The addressee’s complete name and address

If the inmate is indigent, they’re allowed two outgoing letters per week. Legal mail doesn’t count against that limit.

1. Write your return address correctly - include the sender’s name and a return address that’s printed or stamped, and skip address labels.
2. Use the inmate’s full booked name - don’t use initials, nicknames, monikers, or any gang-related naming.
3. Don’t send cash or personal checks - those will be returned.
4. Follow the book rule exactly - send only new, softcover books ordered and shipped from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
5. Keep photos within the limits - no more than 5 photos per letter, and each one must be 4" x 6" or smaller.
6. Avoid the common contraband triggers - don’t send Polaroids, oversized photo collages, nudity/partial nudity, obscene material, or gang-related material.