You’ve got mail… from a prisoner

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Prisoners in Jersey have been given access to a new ‘email’ service, which was created by a former UK convict after struggling to communicate with his girlfriend from behind bars.

The jail mail service is being rolled out following a one-month trial, and it is hoped will help rehabilitation by allowing inmates to easily and frequently communicate with friends, family, lawyers, and support services outside La Moye.

‘Email A Prisoner’ – as the service is called – functions similarly to a postal mail service.

Islanders will be able to send an email message to a specific prisoner’s email account, which will then be printed inside the prison and included in the daily mail delivery seven days a week.

Pictured: Prisoners at La Moye will be able to reply in handwriting. Their letters will then be scanned and sent on via the email service.

Prisoners will then be able to handwrite their reply, which will then be scanned and sent via the ‘Email A Prisoner’ service back to the recipient at a cost of 40p to the sender. 

Those using the service will have the option to attach up to four photographs in the correspondence, which will be redacted if it contains any pornographic or offensive content. 

The service was set up by former UK prisoner Derek Jones. 

A repeat offender in his 30s, Mr Jones came up with the idea in his Winchester prison cell as he was disappointed to not have received letters from his girlfriend.

Pictured: Nick Cameron, Prison Governor, hopes it will help with prisoner rehabilitation. 

He set up the scheme after leaving jail, which, by 2013, was being used in more than 150 UK prisons.

Speaking about Jersey’s involvement, Prison Governor Nick Cameron explained:“We undertook a trial of Email A Prisoner for approximately one month. Four prisoners were involved in the trial and found it was a useful way to keep in touch with family, friends and support services.

“It is important that prisoners maintain communication with the outside world so that they have a better chance of successful rehabilitation after their release.”