Packaging

What you're doing

Wrap up and address books that you or other volunteers have previously selected so that they will successfully reach the incarcerated person who requested them.

Be sure to

• Make sure the books match the restrictions for the prison or jail where they're being sent.
• Include an invoice if it's required by the prison or jail
• Properly format the address, stamp with the Boxcar Books return address stamp, and stamp with the Media Mail stamp or tape on the included printed address label
• Write clearly and neatly
• Put enough tape on the package so that it will not fall apart in the mail
• Use recycled packaging materials if they're available

Think about

• What are the restrictions for the prison or jail where the package is going?  Why does the facility have those restrictions?  Are they fair and reasonable?
• Where is the prison where the package is headed?  What kind of town is it (urban/rural, size of population, economy, ...)?  Why are prisons built in certain places rather than others?  If you'd like to learn more about how prisons can affect the communities where they are located, check out the Prison Town comic book.

How to package

1. Take a set of rubber banded books from the packing shelf.
2. Remove the rubber band and put it in the rubber band basket.
3. Make sure that the books have the original inmate request letter (or some other piece of paper with the address on it).  Set this aside so you don't accidently wrap up the letter.  Don't worry, this is guaranteed to happen to you at least once in your Pages packaging career!  If the original letter is missing, you can try to figure out who should be getting the books by going to the Testament database and clicking on the Browse Records tab.  You can then search for words in the books' titles by selecting Books Sent in the Search pulldown menu.  You can then determine the recipients current address by looking them up in their state department of correction's database.  See Looking up Inmate Addresses for how to do this.
4. If there is a printed address label, set this aside as well.
5. Check the books to make sure that they follow the restrictions handwritten on the inmate's request letter envelope.  If they don't match the restrictions, please read the inmate's letter and pick new books that follow the restrictions and update the letter to the inmate if neccessary.  If an invoice (receipt) or printed address label is required, but hasn't been included with the books, print one.  See Printing Invoices and Receipts for how to do this.
6. Quickly page through the books to make sure that they don't have any names or addresses written on the inside covers and there's nothing between the pages.  We've found everything from dollar bills to marijuana leaves inside books.  Things like this will certainly get the package rejected by the mailroom.  If there are any names or addresses written in the books, cross them out with a marker.
7. Find or cut an appropriately sized piece of packing material so that it will wrap around the books entirely.  Try to use the recycled packing materials if they're available.  You may have to cut open envelopes or use two taped together or cut open a paper bag (like the kind you get from grocery stores) to make it the right size.  Wrap the paper tightly around the books, form letter (and invoice if there is one).  Secure the wrapping paper with a few small pieces of tape.  After doing this a few times you will be an awesome gift-wrapper as well.
8. If there is a printed address label, tape it to the front.  Otherwise, use a sharpie or similar marker to write the address on the front of the package.  It should follow this format
   
   First Name Last Name
   DOC#
   Prison or Jail Name
   Address
   City, State Zip
   
   If you can't read the return address, try looking at the letter to see if the inmate wrote it more clearly there.  If you still can't decipher it, you can try to look up the inmate's current address using the state department of corrections database.  See Looking up Inmate Addresses for how to do this.
   
   The DOC# is usually about 6 characters long (but can be longer) and can contain letters, numbers, or hyphens (-) .  Oftentimes, inmates will also write their bed number or other information indicating where they're located in the prison.  Usually this follows the DOC# and is separated from it by a space.  You should not write this as part of the address. This is because people often get moved around within a prison or jail.  Writing an incorrect bed number can cause delivery to get delayed or the package to get returned.  If you have any questions about which number is the DOC# and what is extra information, ask a more experienced volunteer.
9. If there wasn't a printed address label and you had to write the address by hand, stamp the package with the Boxcar Books return address stamp in the upper left hand corner of the package.  Also stamp the front of the package with the MEDIA MAIL stamp a few times.
10. Wrap the package in tape.  Lots of tape.  Make sure that the edges and corners of the package are reinforced with tape and that the package is covered with enough tape so that even if exposed paper tears, the package will stay intact.  This is neccessary because machines are often used to sort the packages in the postal system.  Through our experience, we also suspect that MEDIA MAIL might be postal worker code for "be extra rough with this package.
11. Write today's date on the front of the inmate's letter envelope and put it in the Filled container.
12. Place the package in a mailing tub in the closet corresponding to the state to which the package is addressed.  Only place packages in tubs that are labeled "UNCHECKED".  If there aren't any tubs in the closet for the state where your package is heading, and there is room in the closet, you can start a tub for that state by attaching the state's velcro label to the tubs space on the shelf.  If all the tubs in the closet are full, you can start a new tub on the floor in front of the closet.  Just tape a piece of paper to the tub labeling it by the state and mentioning that the packages are "UNCHECKED."