Letters

Mail Rule Change Announcement

At the Oregon Department of Corrections, our priority is to enhance the safety and well-being of our facilities. Recently, we've seen a troubling increase in the smuggling of narcotics into our institutions through mail, specifically using paper and envelopes. This poses significant health and safety risks to adults in custody (AICs), our staff, and postal workers.

While we remain dedicated to ensuring that AICs can stay connected with their loved ones, it's crucial that we balance this with the need for robust security. To address this, we are updating Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 291-131. This rule change will introduce new guidelines on the types of envelopes, paper, and materials permitted in mail communications, aimed at safeguarding everyone involved.

Meeting Information:

What: Changes to rules that will limit the type of envelopes, paper, and the use of certain materials related to incoming mail will be discussed at a public hearing.

When: 1:00 P.M. on Monday, September 16, 2024, and may end early if all those registered to testify have been called.

Where: The public hearing is available for access virtually or by phone. There is no in-person option.

How:

To register to speak at the hearing, email DOC.RulesCoordinator@doc.oregon.gov by 1:00 P.M. on Sunday, September 15, 2024.
To join via Microsoft Teams, click this link: Join the meeting now
URL: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZmFmNGUzZTktOTY1Mi00MGM5LWI5ZGEtODBmMzJlMTllN2Rm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223f781cf3-3792-477b-abf5-ff27250dd659%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22fcf0cae7-38c9-442b-b63b-fb0b026b2abd%22%7d
To join a Teams meeting by ID, click here: Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting by ID | Microsoft Teams and enter Meeting ID: 263 170 948 611 and Passcode: 75tY9F

The URL to join a Teams meeting by ID: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting

To join via phone, call 1-971-277-2160 and enter Phone conference ID: 560 415 894#
To provide feedback, but not testify at the public hearing, you can submit your comments to the DOC Rules Coordinator by emailing DOC.RulesCoordinator@doc.oregon.gov no later than 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Keep in Mind:

Comments must be RECEIVED by the Rules Coordinator by Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 5:00 P.M. Please plan ahead so your feedback is received on time.
For accommodations or questions, please contact the DOC Rules Coordinator no later than 1:00 P.M. on Friday, September 20, 2024.

Summary of changes to OAR 291-131:

Limited the type of envelopes, paper, and the use of certain materials related to incoming mail
Added a new rule that aligns these administrative rules with statutory requirements for the processing of adult in custody mail with the Corrections Ombudsman (OAR 291-131-0032);
Removed gendered language and added clarifying language and language for consistency with other department rules;
Changed the term "inmate" to "adult in custody";
Made minor grammatical and punctuation edits.

Current (unchanged) rule text: https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/view.action?ruleNumber=291-131-0030

Sending a Letter

The only items adults in custody may receive directly from friends or family are photos and letters. Books, magazines, and newspapers must be sent to the AIC directly from a publisher/distributor. All other items, such as games or food, are prohibited. Because of this, letters are very important to AICs and are always appreciated.

To send a letter to an AIC, the following MUST be included on the envelope:

The AICs name as it appears on their Oregon Department of Corrections records (no nicknames)
The AICs Oregon state offender identification number (SID#)
Correct facility name and complete address
A return address with the complete name and address of the sender

If you need to find an adult in custody's correct name, SID number and other information, you can use the Adult in custody Lookup System.

If you have questions about mail, please contact the facility where your loved one is housed.

Packages:

DOC does not allow outside “care packages". However, there is a process for ordering books, magazines, and newspapers to be delivered from the distributor directly to the institution. Such items are not allowed to be mailed directly from you to the AIC; they must come directly from the distributor. See the Publications section for more details.