Gifts for an inmate

March 24, 2009 8:50 AM

A friend of mine was recently sent to Moriah Shock Correctional Facility in NY. I want to send him some mail. What should I send him along with the letter? With this kind of incarceration it doesn't seem like a book is appropriate since I'm not sure he'd have time to read.
posted by josher71 to law & government (7 comments total)

Write him and ask how you'd go about adding to his canteen so he can make some purchases of basic necessities and food items while he's there.

He'll appreciate that, I am sure.
posted by jerseygirl at 8:56 AM on March 24

There are pretty strict rules about what a prisoner can and can't receive. Your best bet is to either contact the prison directly and ask them, or write to your friend and wait for him to get back in touch with you. If you write to him, I think you're allowed to include a SASE - that way he can write back even if he doesn't have a stamp. Check with the prison, though.
posted by rtha at 9:23 AM on March 24

Seconding adding money to his account.
posted by Grlnxtdr at 10:41 AM on March 24

Believe me, he'll still have time to read -- books and other reading materials (magazines, comic books, etc.) are always a good idea. So are packages of hermetically sealed food items -- if he's not already receiving these from other visitors or senders. (There are monthly food package limits -- 35 pounds total, in a maximum of two packages.) Commercially produced cassette tapes (yes) are also popular.

There's more information on what inmates can and cannot receive on the New York State Department of Correctional Services website.
posted by babysingsing at 1:16 PM on March 24

Also, last I checked, New York State inmates were not permitted to receive SASEs or stamps in the mail.
posted by babysingsing at 1:19 PM on March 24

Here is an explanation of how to add money to an inmate's account in NYS prisons. It's part of this longer section giving info for friends and families of inmates.
posted by wryly at 1:51 PM on March 24

I don't know about New York State but I do have personal experience with the Mass. Correctional Facilities (I mean, not me, just someone I know.)

When a friend was incarcerated, I regularly sent him books via Amazon. He was allowed to receive some cash in the mail also ... up to a certain dollar amount. Your best bet is to call the facility and ask for the rules of that institution. I did this and found the staff surprisingly cooperative. I guess an inmate who is regularly receving mail is a happy and productive inmate, which makes life better for everyone involved. I also managed to turn my friend into a pretty voracious reader, a habit I hear he's kept up since being released several years ago.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 1:53 PM on March 24