How incoming mail works at Big Muddy River: scanned mail, exceptions, and prohibited items
Mail at Big Muddy River follows Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) rules — most personal mail gets converted into scanned images. Here's what gets scanned, what doesn't, and one common item that's flat-out prohibited.
Most incoming personal mail at Big Muddy River goes through a scanning process. Mailroom staff scan both sides of the envelope in color, then scan everything inside - letters, greeting cards, photographs, all of it.
Once scanned, the mail becomes PDF images uploaded to the person's Bulletin Board. They get a notification when new documents arrive and can view them on their tablet.
Note: Non-privileged mail is scanned on both sides of the envelope plus each enclosure. The recipient views the PDF images on their tablet.
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- ✓ Publications
- ✓ Official government documents mailed from a government entity (including items like birth certificates and Social Security cards)
- ✓ Correspondence from IDOC staff sent to an individual in custody
These categories skip the scanning process entirely. Instead of being converted to PDFs for tablet viewing, they're handled through a separate process.
Hardback books are a no-go. Under IDOC's incoming mail rules, they're not allowed through incoming mail at all.
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