# Correspondence between prisons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correspondence-between-prisons/693611>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 20, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correspondence-between-prisons/693611 "2014-07-20T17:38:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correspondence-between-prisons/693611/1 "2014-07-20T17:38:50Z")

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A thing about which I am totally ignorant, and re which I would be grateful for info, from those in a position to know more than I do.

Two people who have received prison sentences, for an offence in which both of them were involved, and for which they were sent to separate-and-different prisons: would they, while imprisoned, be able to write (snail-mail) letters to each other? Obviously, any such letters would be subject to censorship by the prison authorities; but, that being accepted, would such a correspondence be allowed to happen?

I would say that I am in the UK; and am contemplating attempting a work of fiction, in which such an exchange of letters would be a plot point – and also, action of said work, would be in the World War I era, set in the UK. Concerning this matter, I’d imagine – perhaps wrongly – that such things, now as a hundred years ago, would not be / have been, immensely different between the UK, and North America. I’d be grateful for any input from knowledgeable persons, on this issue.

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**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correspondence-between-prisons/693611/2 "2014-07-21T17:29:26Z")

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Even if they couldn’t communicate directly. I’m sure they could through a third party on the outside who would forward the letters or in the worst case transcribe them.

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**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correspondence-between-prisons/693611/3 "2014-07-21T17:44:33Z")

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Part of the Missouri policy on inmate mail:

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*Can an offender write to anyone?\*\*Offenders may write to anyone as often as they like, however, they may not write directly to their victim(s) without prior approval, staff  
> or volunteers, other offenders within the institution, or individuals who have requested the offender stop writing to them or their wards  
> or have obtained restraining orders via the courts.