Mail

I receive lots of letters, cards, books, magazines and pictures from Patti, the children, friends, and family. One card from a cousin on my dad’s side was rejected for having glitter. Patti has sent me batches of 4″x6″ pictures, Shutterfly calendars, and soft cover books from Amazon and other vendors who sell used books. If she wanted she could send me soft cover books directly. I can also receive hardcover books from 3rd parties. I can also receive newspapers and magazines. I have friends who receive the NY times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. I’m currently getting 5 magazines via a BOP special for $35/year. I chose Men’s Health, GQ, Sarasota Mag, Scuba Diving, and Entrepreneur.

There is a mail call on weeknights after dinner, where your name is called over a loudspeaker, which you can barely hear. Then you walk up to the admin building to retrieve it. Many of the CO’s know me by name because I get so much mail and so many visits. Each housing unit has an outgoing mailbox where the CO’s take the mail during the 9pm count Sunday through Thursdays. Patti has received mail in as little as 2 days from the day after I put it in the outbound mailbox. The same has occurred from her to me. This week she dropped mail at the Pittstown post office on Monday and I received it Wednesday night. This doesn’t always occur – actually odds are it will take 3-4 days and the weekends delay things on my end as well. One time her package took over a month to arrive and of course it was late and meant for Christmas. Likewise, one of my letters took around 2 weeks to get to her.  They open all inbound mail and scan the letters, pictures, book covers, check for contraband and then staple it back together for distribution. Outbound mail is not opened.