Inmate Mail

Inmates are permitted to send any reasonable number of letters, of as many pages as they desire, to whomever they desire outside of the facility.  Likewise, inmates may receive correspondence in any reasonable quantity, amount, and number of page.  Inmate to inmate correspondence is prohibited.

Inmates shall be notified if a letter is rejected, whether it is written by or addressed to them.

Reasons for rejection:

1. Information regarding manufacture of explosives, weapons, or drugs;
2. Material that may tend to encourage or assist in disrupting the orderly operation of  the facility, stoppage, or other breech of institutional rules;
3. Material that would encourage deviant sexual behavior;
4. Pornographic or extreme sexual content;
5. Gang or hate oriented;
6. Instructive materials or plans and methods for escaping, or building and using explosives and/or weapons
7. Names of witnesses, victims, informants and/or officers involved in any criminal case, even if that case is not related to the charges the intended recipient of the mail is being held on.  This would include information about the families of the witnesses, victims, informants and/or officers as well;
8. Relating to police procedures, or jail operations;
9. Mail that does not contain the full name and/or address of the sender. NO NICK NAMES;
10. Currency in any form is not allowed (cash, check, money orders, cashier’s checks, etc);
11. Polaroid pictures are not allowed;
12. Stickers, string, tape, pasted or glued surfaces, or glitter or reflective surfaces;
13. No Home Made cards (not even cards made by children for parents);
14. No wire bound items, jewelry, musical cards or anything containing magnets or batteries;
15. Any other material deemed inappropriate.

Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department permits postage for two free personal letters per week for prisoners that have less than $2.00 in their account.  They shall also receive postage for all legal or official mail.  Incoming and outgoing mail may be opened, inspected, and read for contraband, inappropriate content, or other violation of facility rules or the law.

All incoming mail is scanned and displayed on a tablet for the inmate to read.  The hard copies are placed in the inmate’s belongings and will be given back upon inmate’s release.

All incoming mail must be sent through the Post Office.  No mail can be brought to the Sheriff’s Office.