Policies for Correspondence

Mail Correspondence

Writing Letters to an Adult in Custody

Ministering to those who are imprisoned may include contacting them through email or by physical mail. A timely reply to an incarcerated individual’s letters is vital to their learning and welfare. Mail communication gives you an opportunity to invite the inmate to come unto Jesus Christ and to provide personal ministering. It also allows you to answer their questions, uplift them, and share Church materials to help them draw close to the Savior.

The stake president may call individuals, including couples, to correspond with an inmate. All communication should show Christlike love, avoiding criticism or condemning the individual’s criminal behavior.

The following guidelines apply when corresponding with incarcerated individuals:

• The responder must be at least 18 years old.

• A post office box should be used to protect the privacy of the responder.

• Letters should not be longer than five pages.

• Letters should only be signed with the responder’s first name and should avoid sharing any identifying personal details.

• Colored envelopes, colored paper or stationery, greeting cards, cardstock, and other multilayered paper are not allowed.

• Sending personal photos or money is not allowed.

• Contacting friends or family of the incarcerated individual is not allowed.

• Inquiring about the reasons for or details of the individual’s incarceration is not allowed.

• Letters from an incarcerated individual should be considered confidential. They may be stored in a secure location for up to six months, after which they should be destroyed. It is OK to scan and email letters within a stake assignment. However, any electronic copies should be deleted after six months.

• All letters should be written with the understanding that communications will be monitored and read by facility staff.

• Letters should never provide legal advice or comment on legal proceedings.

• If a letter from an incarcerated individual includes confession of additional criminal behavior, threatens to harm someone, or expresses legal retribution against the Church, then leaders should immediately contact the Office of General Counsel at 1-801-240-6301.

Ordering Church Literature

Stake leaders are encouraged to provide each incarcerated individual with a copy of the scriptures, a Liahona magazine subscription, and other literature that may support healing, mental or emotional wellness, addiction recovery, and self-reliance. Most facilities limit the number of personal items an individual may have.

Be sure to follow these guidelines:

• Do not send hardbound or spiral-bound books.

• All facility rules must be followed. Please refer to the facility’s website for details. In most cases, ordered materials should be shipped directly from the publisher or distributor to the mail address for the facility.

• The incarcerated individual’s full name, inmate number, and unit or cell block are all needed to place an order, as well as the correctional facility’s mail address.

• Church funds may be used to purchase appropriate literature from trusted book vendors.

Clearance for On-Site Visits

Leaders should follow the specific visitor rules as found on the correctional facility’s website. Frequent visits, weekly worship services, or other classes should be coordinated with the help of the prison chaplain. Having a good relationship with the chaplain can be of great benefit to you and those you serve. Some prisons require that Church leaders provide written authorization that they are an approved representative of the Church. Leaders may email the Prison Ministry office at Church headquarters to request a letter for this purpose at [e-mail].