Prisoners in the Sonoma County jail will have most of their mail diverted to a Las Vegas inspection facility to hinder drugs and other contraband from entering the detention facility.
Jail mail will have to be sent through Pigeonly Mail Service starting Sept. 1, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Friday on social media. The arrangement applies to all but so-called privileged mail, such as from lawyers.
“Postal mail remains an access point to introduce contraband and illicit drugs into correctional facilities, which poses a significant health and safety risk,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “This new process will increase safety while allowing incarcerated individuals to continue corresponding with loved ones in a timely manner.”
Mail handled by Pigeonly will be opened and scanned into an electronic document that’s sent to jail authorities for review, according to the company’s website.
Pigeonly will print the scanned mail and ship it to the jail to be distributed to the recipient in one to three days. The service is free for both senders and receivers of the jail’s mail. The company also offers phone accounts.
Pigeonly was founded by Frederick Hutson and Alfonzo Brooks after Hutson was released from Federal prison in 2012, according to the company. It started as Fotopigeon, allowing friends and family to share photos with incarcerated people from their mobile devices.
Pigeonly Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2024, according to a filing in U.S. bankruptcy court in Nevada. Chapter 11 permits reorganization to keep a business alive and pay creditors over time.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the service fee costs $5. The service is free for both senders and receivers.