When I first arrived to Texas over a month ago, I wondered how long it would take for mail and newspaper subscriptions to arrive. After a few weeks, my first piece of mail arrived containing the most adorable letters from my nieces accompanied by their recent school photos (Thank you, June and Teryn). I was utterly surprised to receive the mail, which was sent directly to Texarkana. I did not know the mailing address to Texarkana, which thankfully my sister was able to find and share it on this blog. What about the mail that may have been sent to Morgantown while I was in transit? Would it be returned? Forwarded? Or find some unknown resting place in mail purgatory? After several weeks of limbo, Morgantown staff began forwarding my mail 🙂 I could not believe that some mail had made it from Morgantown through Oklahoma to Texarkana. Any forwarded mail took almost 8 weeks for me to receive…BUT how I receive mail in Texarkana is interesting.
When I opened the letters from my nieces with their school pictures, the front of the envelope had been photocopied…oh, and its contents too. Hmm, I wondered if the envelope hadn’t met the stringent BOP criteria of basic white envelope with no labels or no colors on the letters. The envelope, letters, and pictures were all photocopied – thankfully the precious pictures had been copied in pristine color. Perhaps, the processing of this particular mailing was a fluke, which may explain the photocopies. Nope, my next mailing arrived…a letter from a dear friend. The envelope and contents were photocopied and delivered to me. I asked one of the staff members about this process, and he shared that it’s a matter of security. The mailing department conducts a rigorous review of every piece of mail to ensure that it does not contain any contraband or foreign substances attached to the label’s glue or saturated in the paper. In the past, printed photos could be cleverly layered and labels affixed could be pealed apart that contain illegal substances, like cocaine, meth, fentanyl, and deuce (roach spray).
As further explained to me, all incoming and outgoing mail is sorted through the mail department located in the low-security section of FCI Texarkana. The security protocol for inspecting a simple envelope and letter requires the originals to be scanned, filed, and photocopied. The photocopied versions of the mailing is delivered to the inmate. With an estimated 1,500 guys in both the low-security and camp in Texarkana, this laborious process appears redundant but necessary. However, this strict processing ensures and promotes safety in the prison. While Morgantown allowed all original mailing contents to be received, FCI Texarkana delivers only photocopies of the content, which is certainly annoying when pictures or cards are just copied pieces of paper. I do not know what becomes of the original content, which is hopefully shredded or destroyed. With a few months left of incarceration at Texarkana, I humbly request that all pictures and cards are refrained from being mailed here. I cannot express enough how joyed I am to receive these items, but when they are not the originals, it seems like a waste of printed material and money. I will be out soon enough to appreciate the real deal 🙂
As always, thank you for taking the time to check-in and see how I’m doing on my prison journey. I appreciate all your support, encouragement, and love. I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful week – stay cool, hydrated, and safe throughout this heat. Continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life this week 🙂