Things to Send Inmates in a Care Package

Delivering a care package to an inmate with favorite reading materials, snacks, messages, and photos is an excellent way to express your support and love for the prisoner. A family member or a friend can’t deliver a care package to a prisoner, which necessitates agreements with care package suppliers to send the care package to an inmate. Below is a list of the best things to send to prisoners in a care package,

Food

Most jails offer low-quality food, and the jail commissary provides just the necessities to make prison life pleasant. Almost all jails prohibit family members and friends from sending food or present to prisoners. The main explanation for this prohibition is to minimize illicit goods, including narcotics and weapons, in jails. You can contact a legal care package company to send a loved one pre-approved food stored in tamper-resistant containers on your behalf.

Greeting Cards

Most detention centers and prisons allow inmates to receive ordinary greeting cards. Most inmates readily accept the cards regardless of their typical appearance, as communication with their loved ones is crucial while in prison. The prison staff may dispose of unsuitable and inappropriate cards meant for the inmates. To avoid such a situation, always check your detainee’s institution, or you can read this article to know the limits, including the quantity and size of the care package. You can purchase greeting cards from a local store and mail them personally or purchase personalized greeting cards online. Online websites can send cards to your loved ones on your behalf, and you can choose a reliable greeting card website from numerous lists.

Photos

Most prisons allow family members and friends to send photos to the inmates. The rules for sending photos vary from state institutions to federal prisons. Victims of a crime, witnesses, or remotely monitored inmates can’t send pictures to those in custody or connect with inmates in jail. Sending photos by email is convenient, but there are restrictions to the images a prisoner can receive at any time. If you plan to send physical pictures to the inmate, an envelope with the inmate’s I.D. number and name at the back of the photograph minimizes the possibility of wrong delivery or misplacement.

Commissary Money

Depositing money to a prisoner can make a difference in the inmate’s quality of life. The provisions vary from facility to facility, but most institutions offer inmates three meals daily, a place to sleep, and a bar of soap. Sending your loved one a small amount each month helps improve their life while in prison. Commissary funds cater for necessities, including shoes and socks, shampoo, and snacks to supplement meals. Supplementing prison meals with vitamins and snacks maintains an inmate’s overall health, leading to a healthy lifestyle.

Hearing Aids and Eyeglasses

Deaf inmates and those with eye issues have legislative and constitutional access rights to receive aid devices. Most prison facilities allow family members and friends to send hearing aids and eyeglasses to inmates with hearing and vision problems, according to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Friends and family members can purchase aid devices and deliver them to their loved ones or order the materials and use delivery companies to take them to the inmate as a care package.

Emails and Messages

Sending emails and messages is an effective way of maintaining strong connections with inmates. Most correctional institutions provide messaging facilities that friends and family members can use when communicating with prisoners. Each prison has varying guidelines on the use of such services. Prison authorities strictly scrutinize the emails before being sent to the recipient.

Other items in the care package may include clothing, prison-approved watches, and hygiene materials. Communicate with the correctional facility to establish whether there is a limit on the care package and the recommended frequency of sending care packages.

Reference:

  1. Code of practice for tamper-evident packaging of therapeutic goods
  2. Teaching Patients About Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors: Communication is the First Step | Executive and Continuing Professional Education
  3. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission