Once they leave this place, it s up to them to do the right thing. The postman delivers Jerry Burton sees a side of some inmates that others never see. He is the jail s postman, opening and delivering about 300 pieces of mail a day. Burton doesn t read any of the mail, but he s required to open it to be sure none of the envelopes or packages contain contraband. You d be amazed what people try to send in here, he says.
People try to send in tobacco products or drugs.
There s always someone who comes up with something that s out of the ordinary. In addition to contraband, Burton has to return photographs or cards that are larger than a certain size, and nothing pornographic can be delivered to inmates. One woman sent in photos of herself, wearing lingerie, with a bright-red lipstick kiss on the envelope. Since there were no nude photographs, they were delivered to the inmate. This is their main contact with the outside world, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to receive what they can have, Burton says.