It is the policy of the Coosa County Jail to encourage the exchange of correspondence between inmates and families and others for the purpose of maintaining family ties, solving the many problems brought about by confinement, helping maintain contact with friends and the community, and to help facilitate inmates’ needs for legal services, in a safe and secure manner.  Further, this policy serves as the guidelines and implemented each time inmate mail or correspondence needs to be processed and distributed. 

GENERAL: 

  1. All incoming and outgoing inmate correspondence will be inspected, processed and logged.  Each incoming piece of mail will be opened to check for contraband and money. 
     
  2. The Day Shift Corrections Officers will inspect and log all incoming mail.  The Night Shift Corrections Officers will process and log all outgoing.
     
  3. Each Corrections Officer will ensure that all mail is processed using the Southern Software CAD System, in and out mail processing.  This serves as the tracking system to follow all pieces of mail. 
     
  4. When money is found the jail staff will ensure procedures are followed as directed by this directive pertaining to inmate funds. 
     
  5. When contraband is found jail staff will ensure procedures are followed as directed by this directive pertaining to contraband. 

PROCEDURE: 

The following procedures will be followed each time a piece of mail is received. 

  1. Incoming Mail – 
    1. Inspect the contents for contraband
    2. Log into the CAD under inmates name and list its contents
    3. Remove any monies and log the amount in the inmates account fund.
    4. Distribute all incoming mail during your shift.
       
  2. Outgoing mail –           
    1. Collect all outgoing mail from inmates.
    2. Log into the CAD under the inmates name.
    3. Stamp all mail with the “Inmate Mail” stamp.
    4. Place outgoing mail at dispatch window for delivery to the Post Office. 
       
  3. The jail will not accept mail from another correctional facility and will be returned to sender.
     
  4. Each shift will log in their respective shift logs that mail was processed, when completed. 
     
  5. The additional guidelines are provided to further help each Corrections Officer to better understand inmate correspondence processing.    

PACKAGES: 

Packages for inmates will not be accepted through the mail by the Coosa County Jail.