Cal. Code Regs. tit. 15 § 3142 : Crime Prevention and Corrections — Adult Institutions, Programs and Parole — Rules and Regulations of Adult Operations and Programs — Inmate Resources — Mail — Processing of Outgoing Confidential Mail

In order to be accepted and processed as confidential correspondence, an inmate's letter shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) The letter must be addressed to a person or to the office of a person listed in Section 3141. The address of an attorney must match the address listed with the State Bar.
(b) The inmate's full name, department identification number, and the address of the facility shall be included in the return address appearing on the outside of the envelope.
(c) The word "confidential" shall appear on the face of the envelope. Failure to do this will result in the letter being processed as regular mail or being returned to the inmate if for any reason the mail cannot be processed as regular mail.
(d) Inmates shall post confidential mail by presenting the mail unsealed to designated staff. In the presence of the inmate, the staff shall remove the contents of the envelope upside down to prevent reading of the contents. Staff shall remove the pages and shake them to ensure there is no prohibited material, consistent with these regulations. If no prohibited material is discovered, the contents shall be returned to the envelope and sealed. Staff shall place their signature, badge number and date across the sealed area on the back of the envelope. Staff shall then deposit the confidential mail in the appropriate depository.
(e) If prohibited material is found in the confidential mail, the prohibited material shall be confiscated; however, the letter may be returned to the inmate or mailed following the process outlined above. If the prohibited material indicates a violation of the law or intent to violate the law, the matter may be referred to the appropriate authorities for possible prosecution. Administrative and/or disciplinary action shall also be taken against all parties involved.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 15, § 3142

Note: Authority cited: Section 5058, Penal Code. Reference: Section 2601, Penal Code.

1. Amendment filed 7-17-2008; operative 7-17-2008 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2008, No. 29).