What am I permitted to send to my friend who is in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York?

March 8, 2012 5:53 PM

What am I permitted to send to my friend who is in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York?

I have been writing to a English friend who is currently in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, I was wondering if there is a list of permitted items that I am allowed to send to him? I have been told I can send books via Amazon, obviously I have already sent some letters but I want to know if I can send stamps, money, pads of paper etc etc.
I am based in England, so if I am permitted to send stamps so he can reply to me without paying what is the best way of going about this?
Thanks!

posted by rinsemedown to Law & Government (12 answers total)

Best answer: This is a good source of information for this facility - I suggest you email them rather than rely on advice from people who aren't staff members. This is how you send them money.
posted by SMPA at 6:02 PM on March 8, 2012 [1 favorite]

Here is the list of NY BOP policies on "Inmate Custody and Management"". I think you'll likely find what you're looking for under "Personal Property, Inmate," as that seems to contain the list of items that inmates are allowed to have, but you may need to check some other policies. They may be allowed to have certain things that you aren't allowed to send them, for example.
posted by valkyryn at 6:02 PM on March 8, 2012

Of all the things you could send to a US prisoner - send money.
That will make the biggest impact on their quality of life.
posted by Flood at 6:05 PM on March 8, 2012 [2 favorites]

My memory is that stamps have to be purchased through the prison commissary in all Federal prisons, so sending money rather than stamps is the move. But you are going to check with the facility via email first, yes? Because this kind of rule changes frequently and (to outside observers) arbitrarily, so go to the source.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:11 PM on March 8, 2012

Best answer: Oh, and as a rule, you can't send stamps or pretty much anything that could be used as an exchange mechanism in lieu of money. Anything like that, the prison keeps in some kind of account until the moment you are trading in its value for something tangible and significantly less fungible/easy to hide, such as a package of Hostess cakes. This is the stuff you can buy from the commissary, to get an idea of the amount of money that would be helpful. Prisons usually have a maximum amount you can spend per month or have in your inmate account, and it looks like the MCC spending limit is $320.
posted by SMPA at 6:18 PM on March 8, 2012 [2 favorites]

Regular contributions to the inmate's commissary account are great. Even if your friend has a "job" the pay is extremely low. Being able to buy personal supplies, snacks, etc can really improve quality of life for the inmate.
posted by hilaryjade at 6:45 PM on March 8, 2012

Having read a bunch of the documents linked, and a number more of them, basically the only thing that you can send to improve his life is money... and you must send it to the prison, not to the inmate himself.

All of his stamps, envelopes, paper, etc. must be purchased from the prison.
posted by Netzapper at 7:20 PM on March 8, 2012

You can post the question on PrisonTalk for insider experience.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:36 PM on March 8, 2012

Yep, send money, but in my experience sending $ to a prisoner, you can't just send them cash. You will have to get a money order filled out to the inmate, from you. If you just shove some cash in an envelope I promise you that your friend will never see it, but the guards will. (Mind, I was/am friends with someone in a state facility in Ohio, but I can't imagine it's that much different in New York.) You need that paper trail.

Do not directly send stamps, envelopes, etc. Your friend will never see them. And if he/she does, they will be considered contraband and they will be removed like now from his/her cell.

You will generally be able to send books, but this varies by state as far as where they can come from. I very much recommend you to check out the NY State Correctional Offices web page, which will tell you how to go about doing so. I do know that state prisoners in Ohio can receive books as long as they are straight from the seller (i.e. you order a book from Amazon and have it sent to the inmate) but NY might be different.

I'm really sorry for your friend, and you, and I can tell you it's an irrational system designed to get the most money from you and the most suffering/indignity from the inmate in question. The best I can tell you is google NY state prison guidelines, and follow it to the letter. DO NOT SEND CASH!!!!!
posted by deep thought sunstar at 5:56 AM on March 9, 2012

For future answerers: I believe this is a federal detention facility.

OP: You may want to talk to the British consulate, to see if they have a mechanism for helping your friend stay in contact with you.
posted by SMPA at 8:39 AM on March 9, 2012

SMPA linked above to the web page that gives specific instructions on how to send money to inmates of Federal facilities--the MCC is a Federal facility, not a New York State facility. Western Union is the simplest way, most people find, to do it from overseas.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:28 AM on March 9, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks for all the help, it's been very insightful!

I emailed the MCC and got a very vague response:

"For security, safety, and sanitation reasons, the Bureau limits the amount of property (jewelry,photographs, books, magazines, etc.) inmates may have and the types of publications inmates can receive. The institution issues clothing, hygiene items, and bedding, and provides laundry services. Inmates may purchase other personal care items, shoes, some recreational clothing, and some food items through the commissary. Civilian clothing (i.e., clothing not issued to the inmate by the Bureau or purchased by the inmate from the commissary) ordinarily is not authorized for retention by the inmate.
The only packages an inmate may receive from home are those containing release clothing. Release clothing packages may only be received with prior approval by the inmate's unit team or authorized staff member within the last 30 days of confinement.

Inmates may only possess those items they are authorized to retain upon admission to the institution, items issued by authorized staff, items purchased by the inmate from the commissary, or items purchased or received through approved channels (to include that approved for receipt by an authorized staff member or authorized by institution guidelines). All other items are considered contraband and will be seized and disposed of (destroyed, mailed out of the institution at the inmate's expense, etc.) in accordance with Bureau regulations. Contraband that threatens the security of the institution may result in disciplinary action and/or criminal prosecution for the inmate."

However I will send some money over via Western Union and try and see if I can get some books sent via Amazon.
posted by rinsemedown at 11:54 AM on March 9, 2012