How to Write a Letter That Won't Get Rejected at Oregon State Penitentiary (rules effective Jan 13, 2025)
Mail rules tightened across Oregon DOC facilities for anything postmarked after January 13, 2025. Stick to plain white paper, the right kind of white envelope, and letters or photos only—that's how you avoid most rejections.
Oregon DOC's revised mail rules apply to anything postmarked after January 13, 2025. The bottom line: if you're mailing something from home to someone at Oregon State Penitentiary, letters and photos are the only items accepted directly from friends or family. Everything else is either prohibited or must come through an approved publisher or distributor.
Use plain white paper - standard weight, 20-pound or less. Regular copy paper works fine. Skip thick stationery or anything that feels like cardstock.
Write in pen or lead pencil. Typewritten or photocopied letters are also fine. Crayon and marker-style ink? Those won't make it through.
Envelope Rules
- ✓ Use a commercially produced envelope
- ✓ Make sure it’s white
- ✓ Stick to standard weight (20 lb or less)
- ✓ Keep it no larger than 9" x 12"
Envelopes trip people up more than anything else. Skip padded mailers, cardboard, corrugated materials, or anything tear-resistant. Don't use heavy-weight paper over 20 pounds. And avoid envelopes with security screening features - that blue or purple "security tinting" printed inside will get your mail refused.
Heads up: Don't address the envelope with markers or heavy ink. That alone can trigger a refusal.
Sending mail yourself? Keep it simple. Photos and letters are the only items adults in custody can receive directly from friends or family. Adding extras is where people run into trouble - other items are either prohibited or need to come through different channels.
Books, magazines, and newspapers work differently. These must be ordered and shipped directly from the publisher or distributor to the institution. You can't mail them yourself.
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Write on standard-weight white paper (20 lb or less)
- ✓ Use pen, lead pencil, or typewritten/photocopied pages
- ✓ Put the letter in a commercially produced white envelope
- ✓ Keep the envelope standard weight (20 lb or less) and no larger than 9" x 12"
- ✓ Do not use padded, cardboard, corrugated, tear-resistant, or “security-tinted” envelopes
- ✓ Address the envelope without heavy ink (skip markers)
- ✓ Do not send greeting cards
- ✓ Do not send postcards
- ✓ Only send letters and photos directly; publications must come from a publisher/distributor
Want the official wording? Look up Oregon's mail rule: OAR 291-131. The Oregon Department of Corrections directs people to the Oregon Secretary of State's website for the full text.
Heads up: Greeting cards and postcards aren't allowed. Want it delivered? Send a regular letter on plain white paper instead.
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