ABC Helpful Hints

1. Letters: When sending letters (general correspondence) to a prisoner you can basically write whatever you feel, but always use good judgement. Like don't write about breaking anybody out, even talking about actions that would involve prisoners at that unit (ie. hunger strikes, etc.), or any unit, will most definitely get this person in trouble (usually resulting in a disciplinary case, and can result in further rejections of your letters).

2. Envelopes: You want just about everything to appear very neat, so do not reuse envelopes because you want to save paper (though a good thing to do, just not in this case). You can hand write the prisoners name, Reg. #, Unit and address or you can type it, the same goes for your return address. Though you should get a rubber stamp for your return, they're like $15 at an Office Depot (for the cheapest that is, which is what I have and it lasts long and is a decent stamp).

3. To Sender: Always watch how you write an inmates name, Reg. #, etc. write it the vary way that it is written (although the Reg. # can be on the right side of name or bellow). Only because the mailroom trolls are very anal and they'll reject anything for the littlest reasons. Oh, and the Reg. #, means registration number, it's basically they're bar code (just and FYI). You ALWAYS want that right.

4. What can you send in: Most of the time you can send some fliers or leaflets in the envelope along with you letter (or no letter), but as mentioned in the e-mail, you should hold off on sending any literature in. You can send photos, newspaper clippings, letters and the above mentioned. What I usually do is when I send out request packets, I send a separate letter to the individual letting 'em know what I send and when. Sometimes they (the mailroom) can hold the literature for reviewing and not telling the prisoner (most of the time if the prisoner does not know he/she has something in review they don't get it at all, resulting in the prisoner asking for it again).

5. What can't you send in: You can not send in any literature that pertains to some sort of "disturbance to the facility", advocating riots, hunger strikes, fights, drug dealing, etc. (they're actually are other ways to get around this, but I won't go into detail). In most state prisons (mainly all but Tennessee) you can not send stamps in at all. In all state prisons you can not send in money. In all state prisons you can not send in any type of office supplies, writing paper, pens, pencils, staples, etc. (though if the staple is attached to a pamphlet, to hold it together, it can go in).

6. In Texas: You can ONLY send an inmate money by means of "Inmate Trust Fund", you must get the Trust Fund slip to fill out from the inmate by request, though I usually have some on hand and you can ask me.

7. More on state prisons and transaction: Most states will allow a money order that is made out to the inmate (w/ Reg. #), just not TX. With the money in the Trust Fund, or money order, they can buy there own stamps, office supplies and what have you from the commissary inside.

8. Germany: In case you ever send anything to Germany, you can send in stamps (three per letter), but only German stamps (well you can send in US stamps, but it will do the prisoner no good). No literature at all, the inmate must get it confirmed and OK'd by the warden first.

9. Tennessee: You can send stamps in at those units, as many as you'd like, but don't try sending in any literature, they reject everything that I've ever sent. Anarchist PP Harold Thompson is always in need of stamps, he's a jailhouse lawyer in Tiptonville Tenn. (I'll give you his address if you'd like, but do not put ABC (mainly just with him), just put your name, doesn't have to be full, and PO Box).

10. Literature: You can not send in magazines, books, or anything that isn't some sort of DIY black and white photo copied pamphlet. All that stuff must come from the bookstore (but shit, how many bookstores carry anything we'd want to send?), or the publishers of it. Like, if an inmate wants even a copy of ONWARD, an anarchist newspaper out of FL, you got to contact them and tell them to send it, they will, it's free to prisoners. And again, hold out on sending any literature in period, basically you want the prison to recognize your address first, like in TX I hardly ever have anything rejected, because what usually happens is that your address gets put on file as ok to come in, if you're the Publisher/Distributor of it. Which I stated in the e-mail, we're not "legally" considered the P/D of it, but after so long that you send shit in, and you stamp everything with the your address that has P/D on it then it starts to be allowed. Sometimes you'll have to file an appeal to the warden about something of yours being "unlawfully" rejected, but it's a pain in the ass (you got to look up legal shit) and most of the time nothing comes of it, the warden finds a loop hole. But, it can help in the future, because you didn't just let it happen, you caught them when they were wrong. But, we do distro a variety of things on a regular basis, so we are a "Distributor".

Well, there's a lot you've got to know, but these are just some simple pointers, hope they help, and again, if you need any help just ask, I'm better at answering questions about stuff you want to know than I am writing up stuff to know. A lot of this stuff is just trial and error, I basically know most of it, but even after 3 years I'm still learning (I did other activism before this, just never prison work, ha, ha). But after awhile you just start to remember what to do and what not to do, like nowadays I hardly ever get things rejected.

Anyway, that's all, stay strong and keep in touch!

SOLIDARITY IS A WEAPON!!!
Eric/Austin ABC
austinabc_@hotmail.com

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