In most cases, inmates are permitted to correspond with the public, family members, and others without prior approval or maintenance of a correspondence list. Outgoing mail for inmates may be inspected by staff, and must be unsealed when deposited in the institution’s mailbox. The outgoing envelope must have the inmate’s name, register number, unit, and return address in the upper left hand corner. Correspondence containing threats, extortion, etc., may result in prosecution for violation of Federal laws. Inmates are not authorized to correspond with another inmate unless prior approval is granted. All outgoing mail must contain a return address as follows:

Committed Name Register Number FCC Complex (Low) P. O. Box 26020 Beaumont, TX 77720	Committed Name Register Number FCC Complex (Med) P.O. Box 26040 Beaumont, TX 77720
Committed Name Register Number FCC Complex (USP) P. O. Box 26030 Beaumont, TX 77720	Committed Name Register Number FCC Complex (SCP) P. O Box 26010 Beaumont, TX 77720

There is no mail service on weekends and holidays.

First class mail is distributed Monday through Friday (except holidays) and ordinarily by the evening watch officer in each living unit. Newspapers and magazines will also be delivered at this time. Legal and special mail will be delivered by a member of the Unit Team as soon as possible after it is received. Inmates are asked to advise those writing to them to put the inmate’s committed name and register number and unit on the envelope to ensure proper delivery of mail. The number of incoming letters an inmate may receive will not be limited unless the number received places an unreasonable burden on the institution.

Inmates may receive packages only through the U.S. Postal Service by three authorized methods:

1. An Authorization to Receive Package, form BP-331, is authorized and on file with the mailroom. The forms are only issued for release clothing and medical items.
2. Any package (mail weighing in excess of 16 ounces is considered a “package”) received at the U.S. Post Office must be clearly marked on the outside of the package, “AUTHORIZED BY BUREAU POLICY.” If the package is not clearly marked, it will be refused and returned to sender. It will not be brought back to the institution. This statement refers to packages from all sources, family members, attorneys, etc. It is the inmate’s responsibility to make notification of this requirement. No magazines, softback books, hardback books, or newspapers can be sent from domestic addresses. They must come directly from a publisher or book store.
3. Educational materials – The inmate’s name must appear on a list provided by the education department. All materials will be forwarded to the education department for final approval and distribution.

The Bureau permits inmates to subscribe to and receive publications without prior approval. The term “publication” means a book, single issue of a magazine or newspaper, or materials addressed to a specific inmate, such as advertising brochures, flyers, and catalogs. An inmate may receive newspapers and hard cover publications, soft cover publications, magazines, brochures, etc., only from a publisher, book store, or book club.

The Warden will reject a publication if it is determined to be detrimental to the security, good order or discipline of the institution, or if it might facilitate criminal activity. Publications which meet one of the following criteria may be rejected:

• It depicts or describes procedures for the construction or use of weapons, ammunition, bombs, or incendiary devices.
• It depicts, encourages or describes methods of escape from correctional facilities or contains blueprints, drawings, or similar descriptions of Bureau of Prisons’ institutions.
• It depicts or describes procedures for the brewing of alcoholic beverages or the manufacture of drugs.
• It is written in code.
• It depicts, describes, or encourages activities which may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption.
• It encourages or instructs in the commission of criminal activity.
• Materials which are sexually explicit or feature nudity are not authorized. Any material of this type received for an inmate will be rejected by mailroom staff and returned to the sender.

“Special Mail” is a category of correspondence which may be sent out of the institution unopened and unread by staff, which includes correspondence to: President and Vice-President of the United States, U.S. Department of Justice (including Bureau of Prisons), U.S. Attorneys’ Office, Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, Secretary of the Army, Navy, or Air Force, U.S. Courts, U.S. Probation Officers, Members of U.S. Congress, Embassies and Consulates, Governors, State Attorney General, Prosecuting Attorneys, Directors of State Departments of Corrections, State Parole Commissioners, State Legislators, State Courts, State Probation Officers, other federal and state law enforcement officers, attorneys, and representatives of the news media.

“Special Mail” also includes mail received from the following:

President and Vice-President of the United States, attorneys, members of U.S. Congress, Embassies and Consulates, the U.S. Department of Justice (excluding the Bureau of Prisons but including U.S. Attorneys), other federal law enforcement officers, State Attorney General, Prosecuting Attorneys, Governors, U.S. Courts (including U.S. Probation Officers), and State Courts. For incoming correspondence to be processed under the special mail procedures, the sender must be adequately identified on the envelope, and the front of the envelope must be marked “Special Mail – Open only in the presence of the inmate.”

A designated staff member opens incoming “special mail” in the presence of the inmate. This is usually done by the Correctional Counselor or Case Manager. These items will be checked for physical contraband and for qualification of “Special Mail.” The correspondence will not be read or copied if the sender has actually identified himself/herself on the envelope and the front of the envelope clearly indicates that the correspondence is “Special Mail’ with special instructions to be opened only in the presence of the inmate. Without adequate identification as “Special Mail,” the staff may treat the mail as general correspondence. In this case, the mail may be opened, read, and inspected.

An inmate may be permitted to correspond with an inmate confined in another penal or correctional institution. This is permitted if the other inmate is either a member of the immediate family, or a party ina legal action (or witness) in which both parties are involved. The following additional limitations apply: Such correspondence may always be inspected and read by staff at the sending and receiving institution (it may not be sealed by the inmate).

The Unit Manager at each institution must approve of the correspondence if both inmates are housed in federal custody. The Wardens of both institutions must approve of the correspondence if one of the inmates is housed at a non-federal institution.

The Warden may reject correspondence sent by or to an inmate if it is determined to be detrimental to the security, good order or discipline of the institution, to the protection of the public, or if it might facilitate criminal activity. Examples of the rejected correspondence include:

• Matter which is non-mailable under law of postal regulations.
• Information of escape plots, of plans to commit illegal activities, or to violate institution rules.
• Direction of an inmate’s business (prohibited act 408).An inmate may not direct a business while confined.

The Warden will give written notice to the sender concerning the rejection of mail and the reason for the rejection. The sender of the rejected correspondence may appeal the rejection. The inmate will also be notified of the rejection of correspondence and the reasons for it. The inmate also has the right to appeal the rejection. The Warden shall refer the appeal to a designated officer other than the one who originally disapproved the correspondence. Rejected correspondence ordinarily will be returned to the sender.

Inmates wishing to have personal items mailed into the institution will send an Inmate Request to Staff to the department head responsible for the requested item as follows:

• Unit Manager – release clothing.
• Health Systems Specialist – prosthetic devices, and hearing aids.
• Associate Warden – questionable item or items not covered in the other categories will be submitted to the Associate Warden for a decision.

The department head will inform the inmate of the decision. If the request is approved, the department head will complete the appropriate authorization form. The mailroom officer will not approve any item or package for delivery unless this approval form is on file.

The mailroom staff will forward general correspondence mail (as opposed to special mail) to the new address provided by the inmate at the time of release for a period of 30 days. After the 30-day period, general mail received will be returned to the sender with the notation “not at this address – return to sender.” After 30 days, the address provided will be used to forward special/legal mail.

Any monies received through the mail will be rejected and returned to the sender. It is the inmate’s responsibility to inform anyone who will be sending funds to them about the National Lockbox procedures. The address and procedures for the National Lockbox are posted in the housing units and in the A&O Inmate Handbook.

Any item(s) received with correspondence which is not authorized will be rejected and returned to the sender. The inmate will be notified of any item(s) returned and the reason for rejection. A copy of the rejection form, along with the unauthorized item(s) will normally be returned to the sender. Sexually explicit photographs from any source are not authorized.

Inmates wishing to have personal items mailed into the institution will send an Inmate Request to Staff (cop-out) to the department head responsible for the requested item.

Legal correspondence from or to attorneys will be treated as “special mail” if it is properly marked. The envelope must be marked with the attorney’s name, an indication that he/she is an attorney, and the front of the envelope must be marked “special mail – open only in the presence of the inmate.”It is the responsibility of the inmate to advise his or her attorney about this policy. If legal mail is not properly marked, it will be opened as general correspondence. Special mail will be delivered to SIS staff in the Lieutenants’ Office and mainline between noon and 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Attorneys should ordinarily make advance appointments for each visit. Attorneys are encouraged to visit during the regular visiting hours. However, visits from an attorney can be arranged at other times based on the circumstances of each case and available staff. Attorney visits will be subject to visual monitoring, but not audio monitoring.

During attorney visits, a reasonable amount of legal materials may be allowed in the visiting area with prior approval. Legal material may be transferred during attorney visits, but is subject to inspection for contraband. This material will be treated in a similar manner as the special mail procedures described above. Inmates are expected to handle the transfer of legal materials through the mail as often as possible.

In order to make an unmonitored phone call to an attorney, an inmate must arrange for such a call through his Unit Team. The call will be a collect call or paid for by the inmate.

The law library is located in the Education Department and contains a variety of legal reference materials for use in preparing legal papers.

Under the provisions of 18 USC:4004, Bureau of Prison staff are authorized to notarize documents. The law allows inmate papers which contain the statement, “true and correct under penalty of perjury” to suffice in federal courts and other federal agencies. Some states will not accept a government notarization for real estate transactions, automobile sales, etc. In these cases it will be necessary to contact the unit staff for arrangement with an FCC Beaumont Notary Public.

In accordance with institution procedures, inmates may copy materials necessary for their research or legal matters. There is an inmate copy machine available in the law library which uses the debit card system. Inmates may purchase copy credits in the commissary to use the inmate copy machine.

Individuals who have no funds and can demonstrate a clear need for particular copies may submit a written request for a reasonable amount of free duplication to the attention of theirUnit Team.

An inmate may request review of the disclosable portions of his central file. Institution staff will permit the review of the central file upon written request from the inmate.

An inmate can request access to the “non-disclosable documents” in his central file and medical file, or other documents concerning himself that are not in his central file or medical file. The request must be in writing and mailed by the inmate directly to:

Director Bureau of Prisons
ATTN: FOI Request
320 First Street, N. W.
Washington, D.C. 20534

Such a request must briefly describe the nature of records wanted and approximate dates covered by the record. The inmate must also provide his register number and date of birth for identification purposes.

A request on behalf of an inmate by an attorney or any other person for records concerning the inmate must be in writing and submitted to the Central Office address aforementioned. The request should not be mailed to the institution. The request must contain a copy of the inmate’s consent to disclose the requested information.

This Act under (Public Law 110-177) was enacted in law on January 7, 2008. The Act adds two new provisions (18 U.S.C. 119 and 1521) to the Criminal Code that are of particular relevance to the inmate population. Copies of the Act are available in the Inmate Law Library.

The Privacy Act of1974 forbids the release of information from agency records without a written request by, or without the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertained, except for specific instances. All formal requests for access to records about another person and/or agency record other than those pertaining to themselves (including program statements and operation memoranda) shall be processed through the Freedom of Information Act, 5 USC:552.