Table of Contents
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Program Statement
OPI: FPI
NUMBER: 5350.27
DATE: 7/27/99
SUBJECT: Inmate Manuscripts
PURPOSE and SCOPE
To encourage inmates to use their leisure time for creative writing and to permit the direct mailing of all manuscripts as ordinary correspondence.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
This revision updates the Directives Referenced, adds a Program Objective and a Standards Referenced section, and makes other editorial and format changes consistent with current Bureau policy. The requirement for an Institution Supplement has been eliminated.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
The expected result of this program is:
Inmates will be afforded the opportunity to write and mail manuscripts for publication.
DIRECTIVES AFFECTED
Directive Rescinded
PS 5350.07 Inmate Manuscripts (7/16/79)
Directives Referenced
PS 5265.10 Correspondence (12/18/97)
PS 5270.07 Inmate Discipline and Special Housing Units (12/29/87)
PS 5580.05 Personal Property, Inmate (9/30/96)
PS 5800.10 Mail Management Manual (11/3/95)
Rules cited in this Program Statement are contained in 28 CFR 551.80 through 551.83.
STANDARDS REFERENCED
American Correctional Association 3rd Edition Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions: 3-4428 and 3-4429
American Correctional Association 3rd Edition Standards for Adult Local Detention Facilities: 3-ALDF-5D-01
American Correctional Association 2nd Edition Standards for Administration of Correctional Agencies: None
American Correctional Association Standards for Adult Correctional Boot Camp Programs: 1-ABC-5C-06 and 1-ABC-5D-01
DEFINITION §551.80
As used in this rule, “manuscript” means fiction, nonfiction, poetry, music and lyrics, drawings and cartoons, and other writings of a similar nature.
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION §551.81
An inmate may prepare a manuscript for private use or for publication while in custody without staff approval. The inmate may use only non-work time to prepare a manuscript.
MAILING INMATE MANUSCRIPTS §551.82
An inmate may mail a manuscript as general correspondence, in accordance with Part 540, Subpart B of this chapter. An inmate may not circulate his manuscript within the institution.
Part 540, Subpart B refers to the Program Statement on Correspondence.
LIMITATIONS ON AN INMATE’S ACCUMULATION OF MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL §551.83
The Warden may limit, for housekeeping, fire-prevention, or security reasons, the amount of accumulated inmate manuscript material.
The Warden may choose to address the issue of accumulation of inmate manuscripts in the Institution Supplement on Inmate Personal Property.
/s/
Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, Director
Published Feb 8, 2025 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Feb 21, 2025 at 9:40 pm