By C1 Staff
SANTA BARBARA — Inmates at the Santa Barbara County Jail can now receive mail other than just postcards, after county authorities revised the mail delivery policy.
The Noozhawk reports that the sheriff’s department revised the mail policy in March 2013, stating that postcard-only mail was allowed. Packages and mail of other kinds could not reach behind bars.
The postcard-only rule was an attempt to cut down on contraband being smuggled into the jail.
Inmates and others were against the change, and a group called Right to Write SB actively fought the security measure.
The ban on mail items was removed September 15, following a policy review.
“The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office regularly reviews the Custody Operations policies and the inmate management procedures to remain consistent with the most recent laws and court rulings,” said spokesperson Kelly Hoover. “The only change was the postcard-only portion of the policy was removed. The inmates at the jail have been notified of the change.”
The change in mail policy did not correlate with a recent Ventura County court case, according to Hoover, where a judge ruled that a similar policy that allows jail inmates to only receive postcards was unconstitutional.