Arpaio limits incoming jail mail to postcards

 

Adrian Barrera

 

The Arizona Republic

 

Mar. 13, 2007

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0313mail0313.html


Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced Monday that he is restricting incoming mail for inmates to just postcards.

All sealed mail received by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office jail after May 1 will be returned to the sender.

"I am doing it for a security issue because we have seized a lot of contraband in the envelopes, including drugs, methamphetamines, heroine and some concealed under the stamps," Arpaio said. "I am gonna to stop it.

"So from now on, postcards. Period."

In 2002, Arpaio ordered outgoing mail from inmates be limited to postcards.

Legal mail will not be affected by the policy change.

Paul Bender, a law professor at Arizona State University, said the new policy is a denial of First Amendment rights.

"The issue is whether administrative convenience is a strong enough reason to limiting people's First Amendment rights," Bender said. "It probably significantly cuts down on the ability of prisoners to  receive messages from outside."

Security and drugs are a critical problem, Arpaio said.

"Well, they still have their right to write," Arpaio said. "I am not stopping the mail from coming in the jail."