mail

the letters and packages that are transported by the postal service; to send via the postal service: I will mail the letter for you.; flexible armor made of interlinked metal rings: T he knight wore mail into battle.
Not to be confused with:male – being of the human or animal sex which begets offspring; the sex that produces gametes (spermatozoa)

mail¹

M0040900 (māl)n.1. a. Materials, such as letters and packages, handled in a postal system: The volume of mail increases around the holidays.b. Postal material for a specific person or organization: Could you pick up my mail at the office?c. Material processed for distribution from a post office at a specified time: delivered the morning mail around town.2. A postal system. Used with the, sometimes in the plural: used the mail to send the supplies; advertisements sent through the mails.3. Chiefly British A vehicle by which mail is transported.4. Mail or messages sent electronically; email.v. mailed, mail·ing, mails v.tr. To send by a postal system: mailed the letter yesterday.v.intr. To send letters and other material by a postal system.

[Middle English male, bag, from Old French, of Germanic origin.]

mail′a·ble adj.

mail²

M0040900 (māl)n.1. Flexible armor composed of small overlapping metal rings, loops of chain, or scales.2. The protective covering of certain animals, as the shell of a turtle.tr.v. mailed, mail·ing, mails To cover or armor with mail.

[Middle English maille, from Old French maile, from Latin macula, blemish, mesh of a net.]

mail³

M0040900 (māl)n. Scots Rent, payment, or tribute.

[Middle English mol, maile, from Old Norse māl, lawsuit.]

mail

(meɪl) n1. (Communications & Information) Also called (esp Brit): post letters, packages, etc, that are transported and delivered by the post office2. (Communications & Information) the postal system3. (Communications & Information) a single collection or delivery of mail4. (Communications & Information) a train, ship, or aircraft that carries mail5. (Communications & Information) short for electronic mail6. (Communications & Information) (modifier) of, involving, or used to convey mail: a mail train. vb (tr) 7. (Communications & Information) chiefly US and Canadian to send by mail. Usual Brit word: post 8. (Computer Science) to contact (a person) by electronic mail9. (Computer Science) to send (a message, document, etc) by electronic mail[C13: from Old French male bag, probably from Old High German malha wallet] ˈmailable adj ˌmailaˈbility n

mail

(meɪl) n1. (Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a type of flexible armour consisting of riveted metal rings or links2. (Zoology) the hard protective shell of such animals as the turtle and lobstervb (Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) (tr) to clothe or arm with mail[C14: from Old French maille mesh, from Latin macula spot] ˈmail-less adj

mail

(meɪl) narchaic chiefly Scot a monetary payment, esp of rent or taxes[Old English māl terms, from Old Norse māl agreement]

mail

(meɪl) ninformal Austral a rumour or report, esp a racing tip

mail¹

(meɪl)

n. 1. letters, packages, etc., sent or delivered by the postal service. 2. a single collection or delivery of such postal matter. 3. Also, mails. the system, usu. operated by the government, for sending or delivering such postal matter. 4. a conveyance used as a carrier of mail. 5. e-mail. adj. 6. of or pertaining to mail. v.t. 7. to send by mail. [1175–1225; orig. reference to the bag containing letters; compare earlier mail bag, satchel, Middle English male < Old French malle < Frankish]

mail²

(meɪl)

n. 1. flexible armor of metal rings or plates. 2. any protective armor, as the shell of certain animals. v.t. 3. to clothe or arm with mail. [1250–1300; Middle English maille one of the rings of which such armor was composed]

mail

post road - One with a series of post-houses or stations for post-horses; a road on which mail was carried.
nixie - Any piece of mail that is unable to be forwarded because it is illegibly or incorrectly addressed.
post - Latin posita, "placed," gave us Italian posta, "station on a road," and became French poste, "a station for mail"—from the series of stations that fast horsemen traversed to deliver messages, giving us post, as in "mail system."
blackmail - The "mail" in blackmail is Scottish for "tax, tribute," referring to the tribute demanded by rebel chiefs in return for their protection.

post

mail1. 'post' and 'mail' as nouns

The public service by which letters and parcels are collected and delivered is usually called the post in British English and the mail in American English. Mail is also sometimes used in British English, for example in the name Royal Mail.

Winners will be notified by post.Your reply must have been lost in the mail.

British speakers usually refer to letters and parcels delivered to them as their post. American speakers refer to these letters and parcels as their mail. Mail is also sometimes used in British English, especially in phrases such as junk mail and direct mail.

Has the post arrived yet?I would never open someone else's mail.

In both British and American English, mail is used to mean 'email'.

I switched on my laptop to check my mail.Did you get that mail I sent you this morning?

In both British and American English, post is used to refer to a comment or message that someone puts on a website.

I read his latest post on his blog.2. 'postage'

Don't use 'post' or 'mail' to refer to the amount of money that you pay to send a letter or parcel. In both British and American English, this money is called postage.

Send £1.50 extra for postage and packing.3. 'post' and 'mail' as verbs

British speakers talk about posting a letter or parcel. Americans usually say that they mail it.

The letter had already been posted.She mailed the picture to a friend.

In both British and American English, you can say that someone mails something to mean that they send it by email.

I'll mail it to you as an attachment.He mailed to cancel the meeting.

In both British and American English, you can say that someone posts on or posts something on the internet or on a website, to mean that they put a message, comment, or item there.

She regularly posts on a music blog.I posted the photo on my Facebook page.

mail

Past participle: mailed
Gerund: mailing

Imperative
mail
mail

Present
I mail
you mail
he/she/it mails
we mail
you mail
they mail

Preterite
I mailed
you mailed
he/she/it mailed
we mailed
you mailed
they mailed

Present Continuous
I am mailing
you are mailing
he/she/it is mailing
we are mailing
you are mailing
they are mailing

Present Perfect
I have mailed
you have mailed
he/she/it has mailed
we have mailed
you have mailed
they have mailed

Past Continuous
I was mailing
you were mailing
he/she/it was mailing
we were mailing
you were mailing
they were mailing

Past Perfect
I had mailed
you had mailed
he/she/it had mailed
we had mailed
you had mailed
they had mailed

Future
I will mail
you will mail
he/she/it will mail
we will mail
you will mail
they will mail

Future Perfect
I will have mailed
you will have mailed
he/she/it will have mailed
we will have mailed
you will have mailed
they will have mailed

Future Continuous
I will be mailing
you will be mailing
he/she/it will be mailing
we will be mailing
you will be mailing
they will be mailing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been mailing
you have been mailing
he/she/it has been mailing
we have been mailing
you have been mailing
they have been mailing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been mailing
you will have been mailing
he/she/it will have been mailing
we will have been mailing
you will have been mailing
they will have been mailing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been mailing
you had been mailing
he/she/it had been mailing
we had been mailing
you had been mailing
they had been mailing

Conditional
I would mail
you would mail
he/she/it would mail
we would mail
you would mail
they would mail

Past Conditional
I would have mailed
you would have mailed
he/she/it would have mailed
we would have mailed
you would have mailed
they would have mailed

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	mail - the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal servicemessage - a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled; "he sent a three-word message"1st class, 1st-class mail, first-class mail, first class - mail that includes letters and postcards and packages sealed against inspectionexpress, express mail - mail that is distributed by a rapid and efficient systemparcel post - postal service that handles packagesbulk mail - mail consisting of large numbers of identical items (circulars or advertisements) sent to individual addresses at less than 1st-class rates and paid for in one lotthird class, third-class mail - mail consisting of printed matter qualifying for reduced postal ratesairmail - letters and packages that are transported by aircraftair mail - mail that is sent by air transportsurface mail - mail that is sent by land or searegistered mail, registered post - mail that is registered by the post office when sent in order to assure safe deliveryspecial delivery - mail that is delivered by a special carrier (for an additional charge)letter, missive - a written message addressed to a person or organization; "mailed an indignant letter to the editor"
	2.	mail - the system whereby messages are transmitted via the post office; "the mail handles billions of items every day"; "he works for the United States mail service"; "in England they call mail `the post'"mail service, postal service, postcommunicating, communication - the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information; "they could not act without official communication from Moscow"airpost, airmail - a system of conveying mail by aircraftsnail mail - any mail that is physically delivered by the postal service; "email is much faster than snail mail"RFD, rural free delivery - free government delivery of mail in outlying country areas
	3.	mail - a conveyance that transports the letters and packages that are conveyed by the postal systemtransport, conveyance - something that serves as a means of transportation
	4.	mail - any particular collection of letters or packages that is delivered; "your mail is on the table"; "is there any post for me?"; "she was opening her post"postaggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a wholefan mail - mail sent to public figures from their admirers; "he hired someone to answer his fan mail"hate mail - mail that expresses the writer's dislike or hatred (usually in offensive language)mailing - mail sent by a sender at one time; "the candidate sent out three large mailings"
	5.	mail - (Middle Ages) flexible armor made of interlinked metal ringschain armor, chain armour, chain mail, ring armor, ring armour, ring mailbody armor, body armour, cataphract, coat of mail, suit of armor, suit of armour - armor that protects the wearer's whole bodybrigandine - a medieval coat of chain mail consisting of metal rings sewn onto leather or clothhabergeon - (Middle Ages) a light sleeveless coat of chain mail worn under the hauberkbyrnie, hauberk - a long (usually sleeveless) tunic of chain mail formerly worn as defensive armorgusset, voider - a piece of chain mail covering a place unprotected by armor plateDark Ages, Middle Ages - the period of history between classical antiquity and the Italian Renaissance
Verb	1.	mail - send via the postal service; "I'll mail you the check tomorrow"get offsend out, send - to cause or order to be taken, directed, or transmitted to another place; "He had sent the dispatches downtown to the proper people and had slept"pouch - send by special mail that goes through diplomatic channels
	2.	mail - cause to be directed or transmitted to another place; "send me your latest results"; "I'll mail you the paper when it's written"send, postexpress - send by rapid transport or special messenger service; "She expressed the letter to Florida"airmail - send or transport by airmail; "Letters to Europe from the U.S. are best airmailed"register - send by registered mail; "I'd like to register this letter"express-mail - send by express mail or courier; "Express-mail the documents immediately"transfer - move from one place to another; "transfer the data"; "transmit the news"; "transfer the patient to another hospital"

mail

noun1. letters, post, packages, parcels, correspondence She looked through the mail.2. postal service, post, postal system Your cheque is in the mail.verb1. post, send, forward, e-mail, dispatch, send by mail or post He mailed me the contract.

Translations

邮件邮寄

mail

(meil) noun letters, parcels etc by post. His secretary opens his mail.邮件 verb to send by post. 邮寄ˈmailbag noun a bag for letters etc. The letters are put into mailbags and sent to London by train.邮袋ˈmailbox noun a postbox. 邮筒ˈmailman (-mӕn) noun (American) a postman. 邮递员

mail

→ 邮件zhCN, 邮寄zhCN

Is there any mail for me? → 有我的邮件吗？
Please forward my mail to this address (US)
Please send my mail on to this address (UK) → 请把我的邮件转送到这个地址
Where can I mail these cards? (US)
Where can I post these cards? (UK) → 哪儿能投递明信片？
How long will it take by regular mail? (US)
How long will it take by normal post? (UK) → 普通邮件多久能寄到？
How long will it take by certified mail? (US)
How long will it take by registered post? (UK) → 挂号邮件多久能寄到？
How long will it take by priority mail? (US)
How long will it take by priority post? (UK) → 加急邮件多久能寄到？

Mail

Related to Mail: Yahoo Mail

Prisoners' Rights

The nature and extent of the privileges afforded to individuals kept in custody or confinement against their will because they have been convicted of performing an unlawful act.

For most of U.S. history, the treatment of prisoners was left entirely to the discretion of prison administrators. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the federal courts began to oversee state prison systems and develop a body of law dealing with prisoners' rights. During the 1980s, however, a more conservative Supreme Court limited prisoners' rights, and, in the 1990s, Congress enacted laws that severely restricted litigation and post-conviction appeals by prisoners.

Two statutes enacted during the 104th Congress have had a significant effect on the federal court's treatment of prisoners who seek to bring claims against prison officials. Congress passed the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) of 1995, Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321, to place restrictions on the ability of federal courts when they consider claims by prisoners. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1214, reformed the system of Habeas Corpus review in federal court. Although prisoners continue to bring lawsuits in federal court, these statutes have made it more difficult for prisoners to make successful claims.

Prisoners and Detainees

A prisoner is anyone who is deprived of personal liberty against his or her will following conviction of a crime. Although not afforded all the privileges of a free citizen, a prisoner is assured certain minimal rights by the U.S. Constitution and the moral standards of the community.

Detainees are individuals who are kept in jail even though they have not yet been convicted of a crime. A majority of detainees are individuals who are unable to obtain sufficient funds to post bail and therefore cannot be released from jail pending a trial on the criminal charges.

Historical Background

Until the 1960s, courts refused to set standards for the treatment of prisoners, claiming they lacked the authority and the expertise to do so. Courts deferred to experienced prison administrators to avoid interfering with their ability to respond to the varied, complex issues involved in a penal system, such as custody, security, rehabilitation, discipline, punishment, and limited resources.

By the late 1960s, however, prison conditions in many states were clearly intolerable. Courts began to review the claims of prisoners and to intervene regularly on their behalf. Finding that even prisoners are entitled to minimum rights, federal courts in particular exhibited renewed interest in the right of access to the courts, freedom of expression and religion, the constitutional Prohibition against Cruel and Unusual Punishment, and the right to Due Process of Law.

Rights of Detainees

A great number of persons are jailed before their trials. These persons, known as pretrial detainees, are ordinarily held because they are unable to satisfy the financial requirements for a bail bond.

Important law concerning the rights of pretrial detainees emerged in the 1970s. In Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 99 S. Ct. 1861, 60 L. Ed. 2d 447 (1979), the Supreme Court rejected the theory that pretrial detainees cannot be deprived of any right except the right to come and go as they choose. The Court criticized lower federal courts that had given detailed orders to prison administrators regarding how they should do their jobs. Although prisons cannot employ methods designed only to punish detainees before conviction, they can use suitable procedures for purposes of security and discipline.

Rights of Citizenship

Convicted offenders are deprived of many of their Civil Rights, both during and after their period of incarceration. A majority of states deprive citizens of the right to vote in all state and federal elections upon conviction of a felony. Even in jurisdictions where offenders can vote after release, they ordinarily cannot obtain an absentee ballot and vote while in prison.

Conviction and incarceration for serious crimes can also lead to the total or partial loss of the right to start a lawsuit not related to imprisonment or to enter into a contract. Correction officials argue that permitting a prisoner the right to carry on business as usual creates an impossible security burden. Most states, however, permit a prisoner to be sued.

The right of a prisoner to inherit property or receive a Pension can be affected by various state laws. Most of the legal disabilities to which prisoners are subject are upheld because they do not interfere with fundamental Human Rights.

Personal Property

Prisoners have certain rights regarding Personal Property in their possession. Court decisions have established the right of a prisoner to own some personal items, such as cigarettes, stationery, a watch, cosmetics, or snack foods. In certain cases, prison officials have been found to be justified in forbidding certain items because they fear that permitting inmates to accumulate some form of wealth encourages gambling, theft, and buying favors from guards. Judges have sometimes refused to support prisoner demands for the right to own such items as radios, televisions, or personal typewriters.

Privacy

Prisoners do not have the right to expect privacy in a prison setting. Court decisions have established that prison officials can properly monitor and record prisoners' conversations, provided that the prisoner and the visitor are warned that this will be done. Prison officials cannot intrude upon conversations that are legally afforded confidentiality, such as those between the prisoner and the prisoner's attorney or spouse.

In Hudson v. Palmer, 468 U.S. 517, 104 S. Ct. 3194, 82 L. Ed. 2d 393 (1984), the Supreme Court declared that prisoners do not have a Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures of their property because the Fourth Amendment is inapplicable to them.

Mail

Throughout U.S. history, prison officials have severely restricted the mail of prisoners. For example, officials have opened incoming mail to catch plans and instruments of escape, weapons, Pornography, drugs, and other contraband. The threat of revoking mail privileges has also been used to enforce discipline. Courts have mandated, however, that prison officials offer good reasons for banning publications they consider inflammatory, obscene, or racist. A vague allegation that a book or magazine is likely to stir up trouble has been held inadequate to justify broad Censorship.

Prison administrators cannot unreasonably restrict or censor a prisoner's outgoing mail. In 1974, the Supreme Court, in Procunier v. Martinez, 416 U.S. 396, 94 S. Ct. 1800, 40 L. Ed. 2d 224, ruled that the California Department of Corrections could not censor the direct personal correspondence of prisoners unless such censorship was necessary to further important interests of the government in security, order, and rehabilitation. The Court also held that a procedure must be established to determine that censorship, when appropriate, is neither Arbitrary nor unduly burdensome.

Free Speech

Prisoners do not have a First Amendment right to speak freely. Prison officials may discipline inmates who distribute circulars calling for a mass protest against mistreatment. Administrators have traditionally limited prison newspapers to issues that promote good morale.

The restrictions against First Amendment rights to prisoners have extended to so-called "inmate law clerks." In many prisons, a certain inmate is often declared the inmate law clerk by prison authorities to consult fellow inmates about legal problems and to assist them with filling out paper work. The use of inmate clerks provides inmates with inexpensive and accessible counseling. However, prison authorities often maintain control over the clerks by preventing them from consulting with inmates without prior approval.

An inmate in a Montana prison who had violated the rules restricting unauthorized communication in his role as the inmate law clerk with another inmate brought suit claiming that the restriction violated his First Amendment rights. Although the Ninth Circuit declared that inmates have a constitutional right to assist other inmates with their legal claims, the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed. In Shaw v. Murphy, 532 U.S. 223, 121 S. Ct. 1475, 149 L. Ed. 2d 420 (2001), the Court, in an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, noted that a prior ruling on prisoner-to-prisoner communications required that restrictions must be "reasonably related to legitimate and neutral government objectives." Therefore, the sole question was whether legal correspondence merited a blanket exception to this rule. Thomas made comparisons to other First Amendment restrictions of prisoners, including prohibitions against giving media interviews, organizing private labor unions, and uncensored correspondence among inmates. The restrictions on legal correspondence were no different, according to the Court, and were not entitled to First Amendment protection.

Visitors

The law has long recognized the importance of Visitation Rights, because such rights aid the prisoner's eventual transition back into the community by keeping the individual in touch with society.

Prisoners do not have a constitutional right to enjoy contact visits, as opposed to arrangements in which prisoners are only permitted to talk to visitors over a telephone (Block v. Rutherford, 468 U.S. 576, 104 S. Ct. 3227, 82 L. Ed. 2d 438 [1984]). Courts have held that restrictions on visitation must be reasonable and related only to security needs and good order. Prisoners do not have a right to engage in sexual relations with a visitor.

The issue of the right of a prisoner to communicate and see visitors becomes more significant when the proposed visitor is a news reporter. Federal courts have held that a genuine need for security must be given greater weight than access to the media. Although inmates have a First Amendment right to communicate with the media, this right can be satisfied through the mail.

Before an individual interview with a reporter is approved, prison officials can require the prisoner or reporter to complete an application that discloses the names of the persons involved and the nature of the intended discussions. Officials can also limit reporters to random interviews conducted during a tour of the prison, as opposed to prearranged interviews with specific prisoners. In addition, face-to-face interviews can be banned for any prisoner who has been placed in maximum security.

Access to the Courts

States cannot interfere with the right of a prisoner to petition a court for relief. Neither a state nor a prison official can refuse, for any reason, to review a prisoner's applications and submit them to federal court. In addition, a state is not permitted to prohibit prisoners from having law books or legal papers in their cells on the basis that such materials tempt other prisoners to steal or create a fire hazard. If a prisoner is indigent, the state cannot require him to pay even a small fee to file legal papers with the court. However, a prisoner association cannot have filing fees waived. The right to proceed as an indigent party is allowed only for individual prisoners.

Prisoners have a fundamental right to legal counsel that requires special consideration. Prison officials must allow reasonable times and places for prisoners to communicate confidentially with their attorneys. Prisoners who cannot afford an attorney generally turn to fellow inmates who are experienced in arguing their own cases. Assistance from these jailhouse lawyers was forbidden in most prisons until 1969, when the Supreme Court, in Johnson v. Avery, 393 U.S. 483, 89 S. Ct. 747, 21 L. Ed. 2d 718, held that prisons cannot completely forbid inmate assistance unless there is an alternative for prisoners.

Prisoners must be provided with writing materials and law books. Additionally, prisoners must be able to have their legal papers notarized.

Work

Prisoners ordinarily receive token wages for work performed in prison. Courts have rejected prisoner lawsuits demanding fair wages for prisoner labor, concluding that prisoners do not have to be paid at all. Prisoners have no right to their own labor, or the benefits of it, while incarcerated.

Prisoners cannot refuse to work or choose the work they will do. Prison officials can punish prisoners for refusing to do work assigned to them.

Food

Every prisoner is entitled to food in amounts adequate to sustain an average person. Various groups of prisoners have protested the failure of prisons to furnish them with special diets, and prisoners with special medical needs are generally accommodated. Dietary accommodations have been made for Orthodox Jews and for Muslim prisoners, though prison officials may balance the needs for prison security and economy with the religious beliefs of the inmates.

Religion

Prisoners must be allowed to practice their religion, obtain and keep written religious materials, see or communicate with a religious leader, and obey the rules of their religion that do not endanger order and security in the prison. In addition, wherever possible, formal religious observances for groups of inmates must be allowed on a regular basis. Prisoners can have access to religious programs broadcast on radio and television. Different religions within a particular prison must be given equal treatment.

Until 1997, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned portions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C.A. § 2000bb-1 [1993]), prisoners who had been denied permission to exercise their religious beliefs sought to obtain relief under this federal law. Under the law, a restriction that imposed a substantial burden on religious exercise had to further a compelling state interest in the least restrictive way to be constitutional. However, as of 2003, prisoners had not been successful in overturning restrictions under this law because courts generally agreed with prison officials that compelling state interests were at stake.

Medical Care

Prisoners are entitled to adequate medical treatment. A prison official's refusal to provide medical care to a seriously ill inmate violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment (Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 97 S. Ct. 285, 50 L. Ed. 2d 251 [1976]). In cases where the treatment is neither cruelly withheld nor intentionally mismanaged but is inept, prisoners can sue physicians in state courts for Medical Malpractice.

Appearance

Prisons traditionally have strictly regulated the appearance of prisoners. In situations where prisoners have complained that they were denied opportunities to shower or shave, courts have insisted on minimum standards of human decency and personal hygiene. When necessary, courts have allowed prisons to force inmates to keep themselves clean for purposes of maintaining the health of the general prison population.

Discipline and Punishment

The rules regarding conduct must be clearly defined and explained to inmates, and each prisoner must be provided with a written list of the rules when entering a correctional facility. Disciplinary rules must relate to the needs of security, good order, and good housekeeping.

A prisoner accused of breaking rules does not have all the rights of an accused at trial because a prison disciplinary proceeding is not the same as a criminal prosecution. Inmates are not entitled to an attorney at disciplinary hearings, nor are they entitled to confront or crossexamine the witnesses against them.

Prisoners must be given notice of the charges against them, the particular rules they are charged with violating, and the penalties for such infractions. A hearing can be informal for small infractions. The ordinary procedure is for the fact finder to write a statement that explains the evidence relied on and the reason for any disciplinary action taken. The punishment must reasonably relate to the seriousness of the infraction.

Prison personnel can use force in Self-Defense, stopping fights between inmates, compelling obedience to lawful orders where milder measures fail, and defending state property. Where guards use force without justification, a prisoner does not necessarily have the right to resist. The use of tear gas and chemical mace is justified only when an immediate danger of riot or serious disorder exists.

Prison officials may punish prisoners by withdrawing certain privileges, such as seeing visitors, buying items from the commissary, or earning wages. Prisoners cannot be denied fundamental human necessities.

Segregation is the most common type of punishment used in prisons for rule breaking. Prisoners can be categorized into groups and segregated from the general inmate population for a number of other reasons as well. Each prison has its own system and titles for different degrees of segregation. Separate areas may be set aside for young prisoners, repeat offenders, or prisoners who have been sentenced to death. Homosexuals and other prisoners who have or may be subjected to Sexual Abuse can be segregated. Segregation cannot be used, however, to separate prisoners according to race.

A number of prisons have more than one level of segregation, the most serious of which is solitary confinement. Punitive isolation is not unconstitutional in and of itself. Conditions in some prisons, however, have been found to be so strict that they constitute cruel and unusual punishment. A person in solitary confinement can be punished by the restriction of ordinary privileges, but a prisoner cannot be denied basic food, light, ventilation, or sanitation.

Unconstitutional Prisons

Many federal courts have found that mere confinement in some prisons amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The intervention of federal courts in prison reform began in the early 1970s and continued into the early 2000s. In 1996, eight jurisdictions (Alaska, Mississippi, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) were under court order or a Consent Decree to improve prison conditions. At the same time, major prison facilities in 32 jurisdictions were under court supervision. Typically, federal courts intervene when a facility has serious overcrowding or does not meet minimum standards.

Federal court intervention has forced states to improve prisons through the expenditure of money for new facilities, more staff, and improvements at existing prisons. However, many states have objected to what they perceive as unwarranted federal interference. Congress responded by passing the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) in 1995, which imposed substantive and procedural limitations on the ability of federal courts to issue injunctions mandating prison reform. The act also restricted the courts' ability to employ special masters to assist in prison condition cases. (A Special Master is a person appointed by the district court to handle the day-to-day details and oversight of a case.) The law has been challenged on many fronts by those seeking reforms in prison conditions.

Lower federal courts have confronted issues posed by the PLRA by finding that the statute restricts their ability to establish minimum prison conditions. In Inmates of Suffolk County Jail v. Rouse, 129 F.3d 649 (1st Cir. 1997), the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the PLRA required a district court to vacate a 1979 consent decree that set conditions for confinement of pretrial detainees in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. In its decision, the court rejected the inmates' contention that the PLRA was unconstitutional because it violated the Separation of Powers principle and the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The PLRA contains a section that entitles a state or local government entity to the immediate termination of "any prospective relief" previously ordered by a court. Under the act, prospective relief includes all relief other than Compensatory Damages. This definition meant that provisions of the consent decree dealing with the housing of prisoners could be terminated. The First Circuit found that the statute was constitutional and held that the law mandated the termination of the consent decree unless the district court made specific findings that the decree was narrowly drawn to correct a violation of federal law.

Remedies Available to Prisoners

Prisoners who seek to protect a constitutional or civil right are entitled to complain, but they are required to pursue whatever procedures exist within the prison before taking the case to court.

The most popular vehicle for prisoner lawsuits has been a federal civil rights statute, 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983 (1871; recodified 1979). A "Section 1983 action" permits a prisoner to sue in federal court for an alleged deprivation of a federally protected or constitutional right by a person acting under the authority of state law. A prisoner may sue the warden or supervisor, a guard, or the local government that owns and runs the prison.

In the early 1980s, as many as 15,000 section 1983 actions were filed each year, many of them frivolous. The Supreme Court responded by requiring many prisoners to use state tort claims acts rather than the federal statute and the federal courts. The Court also established difficult standards of proof for prisoners to meet.

In 1995, Congress sought to restrict prisoner lawsuits by devoting numerous provisions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act to this subject. The statute requires prisoners to exhaust administrative remedies before bringing a lawsuit, expands the federal courts' ability to dismiss lawsuits filed by prisoners, imposes numerous restrictions on the fees that can be awarded to a prisoner's attorney, and forbids a prisoner from filing an action for mental or emotional injury without a prior showing of physical injury. In addition, the act imposes restrictions on the ability of prisoners to proceed without paying filing fees. Another provision requires courts to prescreen lawsuits filed by prisoners and expands the grounds for dismissal of such suits. Finally, the act grants federal courts the power to revoke the good time credits of prisoners who file frivolous or harassing lawsuits or present false testimony or evidence to the court.

A prisoner's ability to file a habeas corpus action in the federal courts challenging prison conditions was also diminished. A writ of habeas corpus is a legal document ordering anyone who is officially holding the petitioner to bring him into court to determine whether the detention is unlawful. A federal court can hear an application for a writ of habeas corpus by a state prisoner who is being held in custody, allegedly in violation of the Constitution or the laws of the United States.

Traditionally a writ of habeas corpus was granted only for the purpose of ordering an immediate release of a prisoner from all restraints. A court would have to find that the imprisonment itself was illegal, for example, if the petitioner was convicted but his constitutional rights were violated during the trial. The scope of federal habeas corpus expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s, entitling prisoners to the writ even if they were legally in custody but the conditions of the confinement violated their constitutional rights. The writ is rarely used in these circumstances, however, because federal courts prefer to improve prison conditions rather than set a convicted felon free.

Provisions of the Antiterrorism and Death Penalty Act of 1996 further limited the power of federal courts to review cases through habeas corpus review. The act lowered the applicable Statute of Limitations to one year after the judgment convicting the defendant becomes final, which is generally the date of a final appeal or the final date when an appeal would be available. The act also provides several restrictions on the ability of a federal court in a habeas corpus review from reconsidering the factual and legal bases for the defendant's incarceration.

Cross-references

Preventive Detention; Right to Counsel.

MAIL. This word, derived from the French malle, a trunk, signifies the bag, valise, or other contrivance used in conveying through the post office, letters, packets, newspapers, pamphlets, and the like, from place to place, under the authority of the United States. The things thus carried are also called the mail.
2. The laws of the United States have provided for the punishment of robberies or willful injuries to the mail; the act of March 3, 1825, 3 Story's Laws U. S. 1985, provides:
Sec. 22. That if any person shall rob any carrier of the mail of the United States, or other person entrusted, therewith, of such mail, or of part thereof, such offender or offenders shall, on conviction, be imprisoned not less than five years, nor exceeding ten years; and, if convicted a second time of a like offence, he or they shall suffer death; or if, in effecting such robbery of the mail, the first time, the offender shall wound the person having the custody thereof, or put his life in jeopardy, by the use of dangerous weapons, such offender or offenders shall suffer death. And if any person shall attempt to rob the mail of the United States, by assaulting the person having custody thereof, shooting at him, or his horse or mule, or, threatening him with dangerous weapons, and the robbery is not effected, every such offender, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment, not less than two years, nor exceeding ten years. And, if any person shall steal the mail, or shall steal or take from, or out of, any mail, or from, or out of, any post office, any letter or packet; or, if any person shall take the mail, or any letter or packet therefrom, or from any post office, whether with or without the consent of the person having custody thereof, and shall open, embezzle, or destroy any such; mail, letter, or packet, the same containing any articles of value, or evidence of any debt, due, demand, right, or claim, or any release, receipt, acquittance, or discharge, or any other articles, paper, or thing, mentioned and described in the twenty-first section of this act; or, if any person shall, by fraud or deception, obtain from any person having custody thereof, any mail, letter, or packet, containing any article of value, or evidence thereof, or either of the writings referred to, or next above mentioned, such offender, or offenders, on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned not less than two, nor exceeding ten years. And if any person shall take any letter, or packet, not containing any article of value, or. evidence thereof, out of a post office, or shall open any letter or packet, which shall have been in a post office, or in custody of a mail carrier, before it shall have been delivered to the person to whom it is directed, with a design to obstruct the correspondence, to pry into another's business or secrets; or shall secrete, embezzle, or destroy, any such mall, letter, or packet, such offender, upon conviction, shall pay, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, and be imprisoned not exceeding twelve months.
3.-Sec. 23. That, if any person shall rip, cut, tear, burn, or otherwise injure, any valise, portmanteau, or other bag used, or designed to be used, by any person acting under the authority of the postmaster general, or any person in whom his powers are vested in a conveyance of any mail, letter packet, or newspaper, or pamphlet, or shall draw or break any staple, or loosen any part of any lock, chain, or strap, attached to, or belonging to any such valise, portmanteau, or bag, with an intent to rob, or steal any mail, letter, packet, newspaper, or pamphlet, or to render either of the same insecure, every such offender, upon conviction, shall, for every such offence, pay a sum, not less than one hundred dollars, nor exceeding five hundred-dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one year, nor exceeding three years, at the discretion of the court before whom such conviction is had.
4.-Sec. 24. That every person who, from and after the passage of this act, shall procure, and advise, or assist, in the doing or perpetration of any of the acts or crimes by this act forbidden, shall be subject to the same penalties and punishments as the persons are subject to, who shall actually do or perpetrate any of the said acts or crimes, according, to the provision of this act.
5.- Sec. 25. That every person who shall be imprisoned by a judgment of court, under and by virtue of the twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, or, twenty-fourth sections of this act, shall be kept at hard labor during the period of such imprisonment.

mail

mail

mail 1

mail 2

mail 3

mail

mail

mail

mail

mail1

mail2

mail

post

mail

mail

mail

mail

mail

carry the mail (for someone)

the check is in the mail

cheque is in the mail

mail (something) in

by return mail

by return post

snail mail

junk mail

mail (something) from (some place)

mail (something) to (one)

by return mail and by return post

junk mail

mail something from some place

mail something to someone

junk mail

snail mail

ˈsnail mail

knee-mail

mail

snail-mail

check is in the mail, the

mail

mail:

mail

mail

mail

mail

Mail

Prisoners' Rights

Prisoners and Detainees

Historical Background

Rights of Detainees

Rights of Citizenship

Personal Property

Privacy

Mail

Free Speech

Visitors

Access to the Courts

Work

Food

Religion

Medical Care

Appearance

Discipline and Punishment

Unconstitutional Prisons

Remedies Available to Prisoners

Further readings

Cross-references

MAIL

mail

Synonyms for mail

noun letters

Synonyms

noun postal service

Synonyms

verb post

Synonyms

Synonyms for mail

noun the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

Related Words

noun the system whereby messages are transmitted via the post office

mail¹

mail²

mail³

mail¹

mail²