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Mail Guidelines

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Mail Guidelines

Mail Guidelines


(Inmate’s Full Name)/Booking Number
Manatee County Central Jail
14470 Harlee Road
Palmetto, FL 34221

- Inmates are only allowed to receive POSTCARDS from family/friends. Letters are NOT acceptable.
- Postcards are to be at least 3.5 inches by 4.25 inches BUT NO LARGER THAN 4.25 inches by 6 inches.
- Postcards are to be TYPED or written in BLACK or BLUE INK ONLY.
- Photos are allowed but must be addressed and stamped individually and must follow the same rules as regular postcards.
- All mail must include a return address.

UNACCEPTABLE postcards will be returned to sender; types of unacceptable postcards include but are not limited to:

- Defaced or altered postcards.
- Plastic or wrappings on postcards.
- Postcards marked with paint, magic markers, or crayons.
- Postcards with stickers or labels (including address labels).
- Postcards with watermarks or stained in any manner.
- Postcards with any biohazards, including lipsticks and perfumes.
- Postcards depicting nudity, weapons, or gang references.
- Oversized post cards.


Inmates are allowed to receive the following items without prior written approval;

  1. Magazines (subscriptions or individual), paperback books including puzzle books are permitted (no more than 2 each month, can be 1 of each, journals are not an allowed item) as long as they are mailed directly from the publisher's authorized distributor or a retailer such as; Books a Million, Walden Books, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com or similar retailers. Your family cannot mail them to you. If the item(s) does not come from an authorized source it will be returned to sender. Books and magazines can be no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches in size.
  2. Newspaper subscription (1 only) must be sent from newspaper office directly to the facility.
  3. Weekly magazine subscriptions are permitted and will be treated like a newspaper subscription.
  4. No other item(s) will be accepted by the Mail Room unless approved by the Bureau Chief or designee PRIOR to the delivery of said item(s). Unapproved items will be returned to sender.

Publications may be rejected based on content only if it is determined to be detrimental to the security, good order, or discipline of the institution or if it might facilitate criminal activity. A publication may not be rejected solely because its content is religious, philosophical, political, social or sexual, or because its content is unpopular or repugnant.
Publications which may be rejected include but are not limited to publications which meet one of the following criteria:

  1. It depicts or describes procedures for the construction or use of weapons, ammunition, bombs or incendiary
    devices.
  2. It depicts, encourages, or describes methods of escape from correctional facilities, or contains blueprints,
    drawings or similar descriptions of Bureaus of Prison institutions.
  3. It depicts or describes procedures for the brewing of alcoholic beverages, or the manufacture of drugs.
  4. It is written in code.
  5. It depicts describes or encourages activities which may lead to the use of physical violence or group
    disruption.
  6. It encourages or instructs in the commission of criminal activity.
  7. It is sexually explicit material which by its nature or content poses a threat to the security, good order, or
    discipline of institution, or facilitates criminal activity.

MONEY ORDERS will be accepted through the mail. The envelope MUST be addressed to:

Manatee County Central Jail
14470 Harlee Road
Palmetto, Florida 34221
"FOR DEPOSIT ONLY"
Inmates Name/Booking Number


Money Orders must be made out to "MCSO Inmate Account" on the "Pay To" line, otherwise it will be returned to sender.
Personal notes/letters addressed to inmates that are sent with money orders will be disposed of and not sent to the
inmate or returned to the sender.

Inmates will still be permitted to mail out sealed envelopes, HOWEVER, the envelope must contain the inmates full
name and booking number, cell/pod number and complete facility mailing address. The envelope cannot have any
drawings, writings, graffiti or additional marks on the outside except for the name and address of the recipient. If the
envelope does not conform to this rule it will not be picked up or mailed out.

Outgoing inmate mail may be opened, examined, censored and/or rejected by jail staff pursuant to jail policy and procedures.

*** NOTE *** All inmate mail(outgoing and incoming) is subject to the following U.S. Postal Guidelines found in the U.S. Postal Service Operations Manual.


Section 274.96 Mail Addressed to Prisoners
Authorized personnel of prisons, jails, or other correctional institutions, under rules and regulations promulgated by the institution, may open, examine, and censor mail sent from or addressed to, an inmate of the institution. An inmate may designate in writing an agent outside the institution to receive his or her mail, either through an authorized address of the agent, if the mail is so addressed, or at the delivery post office serving the institution, if the mail is addressed to the inmate at the institution.

NOTARY SERVICE PROCEDURES
Family members needing to have notary service can send in the papers to be notarized. Paperwork shall be mailed in and addressed to:

Manatee County Central Jail
14470 Harlee Road
Palmetto, Florida 34221

ATTN: Inmate Notary You must enclose a money order payable to :”MCSO ICF” in the amount of $5.00 for each document to be notarized. Enclose a self addressed stamped envelope if you want the paperwork returned to you.

PLEASE INFORM YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDS OF THESE NEW CHANGES TO AVOID MAIL BEING RETURNED TO THEM.

If you have any questions regarding our policies please feel free to send a 3-page request form to the supervisor in charge of the Inmate Mail Room. This information is not intended to provide all the information you may require. If you have any specific questions or do not understand the information please call (941) 747-3011 x 2921