Federal Judge Rules Sheriffs Can’t Limit how Inmates Communicate with Family Blog Local News 11/07/2017 Tweet A Federal Judge says a Southeast Kansas sheriff can’t limit how his county’s inmates correspond with friends and family. Sheriff Pete Figgins was only allowing the prisoners to send and receive postcards in the mail. The judge’s ruling says the policy violates the inmates free speech rights. The jail can still restrict any communications that threaten safety or encourage criminal activities.