Do Prison Staff Read the Letters Sent to Inmates?

Yes, and you should write every letter as if they do.

Mail room staff are expected to read incoming letters in their entirety. That is the protocol, and it exists for legitimate security reasons. In practice, the volume of mail at larger facilities means some officers scan rather than read thoroughly, but there is no way to know which approach any particular staff member is taking on any given day. Assuming your letter will be read word for word is the only safe approach.

What that means practically is to be thoughtful about what you put in writing. Anything that could be interpreted as discussing criminal activity, facilitating something prohibited, or creating a security concern can result in the letter being confiscated, the inmate being flagged, or both. This applies to things that might seem innocent in a different context but read differently inside a prison mail room.

A few things to keep in mind when writing:

Do not reference anything related to ongoing legal matters in ways that could be used against your inmate or anyone else. Save those conversations for attorney visits, which carry a different level of protection.

Do not use coded language or inside references that could appear suspicious to someone reading without context. Even if the intent is harmless, it raises flags.

Write naturally and honestly, just with the awareness that you have an audience beyond the person you are writing to.

The letter is a connection to the outside world and worth sending. Just send it knowing it is not private once it enters the mail room.