Communicating by Mail

It shall be the policy of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office to impose no restrictions formal or informal on the ability of an inmate to communicate with persons outside the jail, except where such restrictions are clearly necessary to the maintenance of the order and the security of the jail. This censorship may be no greater than necessary to further a substantial and important governmental interest unrelated to the suppression of expression (e.g. escape plans, threat to facility security and safety for both the inmates, citizens and staff).

If at any time, the contents of the mail have been deemed inadmissible, an Incident Report must be complete and the seized contents of the mail and forward the contents to the Deputy Warden. The Deputy Warden shall then determine if further investigation is warranted. The Investigations Bureau of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office shall conduct investigations into this type of incident. All contraband will be disposed of properly.

Outgoing Mail

• • Inmate’s full name
    Butler County Sheriff’s Office
    705 Hanover Street
    Hamilton, Oh 45011Any inmate may correspond with anyone outside the jail provided each letter bears the proper postage and proper return address including the inmate’s full name.
• Indigent inmates (an inmate without funds) shall be supplied with the necessary writing materials (envelopes and postage) for a minimum of three (3) letters per week.
• Collection – inmates will seal their letters and place them in the designated areas located in each housing unit.  The mail shall be collected from each housing unit daily.  The mail will be picked up by the Post Office each morning.
• Inmate to inmate – any inmate who wishes to correspond with another inmate in this facility must follow the same procedures as any outgoing mail.

Incoming Mail

• Incoming mail must be addressed to inmate, using their complete, full name.
  • Mail is to be addressed as follows:
    Inmate’s full name
    Butler County Sheriff’s Office
    705 Hanover Street
    Hamilton, Ohio 45011
• Letters addressed to inmates will be opened and inspected for contraband before being delivered to the inmate.  All mail will be delivered within 24 hours of being received at the facility.
• Legal mail from attorneys, courts, etc. shall be opened in the presence of the inmate and checked for contraband by the staff member.
• Staff members shall only check for contraband and not read the letters. Staff members shall not delete, black-out any portions, or withhold any incoming prisoner letters, except where such restrictions are clearly necessary to the maintenance of the order and security of the jails.
• Material determined to be obscene shall not be forwarded to the inmates.
• Decisions to withhold, read or censor any incoming prisoner mail must be made by a supervisor.
• All contraband will be disposed of properly.

Parcels

All packages received for inmates shall be thoroughly inspected for contraband and determination shall be made if the contents of the package would violate Facility Safety Rules. If the contents are acceptable, a staff member shall deliver the package to the inmate.

• NO POLAROID PICTURES.
• Materials of sexual nature and/or nude or partially nude photographs are not accepted into the facility. These photographs will be disposed of properly.
• Items of an illegal nature will be held as evidence for possible prosecution.
• Legal materials and clothing for Court appearances (jury trial only) will be accepted through inmate mail. Packages must be marked clearly on the outside as to the contents. No other packages will be accepted.

Contraband

If a letter or incoming parcel is discovered to contain contraband, the Corrections Staff will contact the Supervisor, seize the contraband and complete an Incident Report.  All contraband will be properly disposed of or secured as evidence depending on the Incident. The Deputy Warden may then turn all evidence over to the Detective Bureau Supervisor of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office for investigation or possible subsequent prosecution.

Undeliverable Mail

If any incoming mail is undeliverable because the inmate is no longer here, the letter shall be marked “Return to Sender” and placed in the outgoing mail.