[thecyborganizer]

Your state certainly has a law permitting letters sent to prisoners to be opened and inspected. Mine does:

  Incoming mail may be opened, inspected for contraband and read by authorized institutional staff within the guidelines set forth in this policy.

- RI Department of Corrections policy 24.01-7, 1.4.1.B.2 (authorized by RI General Laws 42-56-1)

[sakras]

I could be wrong, but doesn’t that violate the supremacy clause, since opening letters is a federal offense?

[thecyborganizer]

18 USC 1702 only applies if you are opening someone else's mail because you want to "obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another". Presumably the courts have determined that this does not apply to prison officials opening mail addressed to prisoners.

[jcadam]

Parcels I can understand, but a letter? No.