Mail delivery is often 30+ days delayed or more. They said they are working to slow the smuggling of drugs but it hasn’t had any impact. (They bought a special chemical-detection “hood” and a centrifuge apparatus. All mail is copied piece by piece, including pictures. Mail lays around for days or weeks. They need to look at staff closer; that’s how a lot of drugs are coming in.)
Plus, we’ve been out of envelopes for five weeks. People could only send out mail if they had hoarded some away or bought cards at the commissary. Today we were finally able to purchase legal envelopes from commissary. But, of course, you can only go on your day to shop. I can’t go until Friday and I am sure they will be out again by then. (We are still out of regular envelopes.) Staff told us that the laundry would hand out envelopes once a week, but the workers there say they have never been told this and do not have envelopes.
And then, we can only send legal mail twice a week, at noon, IF someone shows up to work there. We have to stand against a wall until someone shows up, then walk down a secure hallway to an elevator, go to the basement, then stand in line and listen to catty comments about the staff having to handle mail that is contaminated with drugs. I do not receive drug mail and truly resent the catty comments. Retire if you don’t like your jobs.
AND we can only use the copier that belongs to the rec law library, which has been moved to the trust fund area. It is available only one day per week.
Update, 2/13/25: Finally, the unfriendly woman in the laundry room is passing out five regular envelopes per person.