Possible Scam Alert
It has come to our attention that an individual(s) has sent a letter to at least one inmate and possibly others on UPAN letterhead soliciting for donations. We’re investigating this. If you have received a communication such as this or suspect something suspicious, do not reply or send money to the sender. Please send us a copy of the letter and record specific information such as return address or mailing address for the solicited donation and the signature on the letter. You can mail this information to us at:
UPAN
P.O. Box 464
Draper, UT 84020
OR
Email us at [email protected]
UPAN has not sent out letters asking for money. UPAN has explained to inmates and other individuals who have asked about how to contribute funds that we do accept donations in any amount.
UPAN will never send you a letters asking for money, nor do we share any personal information without your permission.
How UPAN Operates Financially
Inmates have asked about the cost of the newsletter and we have explained that there is no subscription fee for it, but that we do accept donations to help cover postage and printing costs for the various efforts we are involved in (example – copying and sending the data surveys to the Auditors for the Board Audit). We do not charge for the newsletter at this point because:
- We want to make sure any inmate has the ability to receive it, and
- We are fortunate enough at this time to have volunteers to send newsletters to those inmates who have no family to do so. Those volunteers generously bear the cost of paper, envelopes, printing and postage.
Other costs that UPAN experiences during the year include operating costs for our website hosting and online security service, post office box rental, and other basic operating expenses. UPAN is a grassroots community outreach non-profit organization that operates on very limited funds. All of our staff are unpaid volunteers who work out of their homes. We advocate for better conditions within the prison, inmate family support, transparency of government entities involved in the criminal justice system, and criminal justice reform in the State of Utah.
How and Where to Make a Donation
UPAN accepts donations through:
- Our secure website at www.utahprisoneradvcate.org
- Via mail at P.O. Box 464 Draper, UT 84020
- Donation box at our monthly meetings
UPAN wants to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to help us operate this year, including families, incarcerated individuals, and particularly our volunteers and board of directors who foot the bill for most mailings, projects, and all travel out of their own pockets.