How Centralia's New Mail Scanning & Publication Rules Work: What Gets Scanned, What's Excluded, and Privileged Mail
If you mail letters or photos to someone at Centralia, here's the biggest change: most non-privileged mail now gets turned into a color PDF and delivered on a tablet instead of as physical paper. Below, you'll find how the scanning process works, what's excluded, and how privileged mail is handled differently.
For incoming non-privileged mail, Centralia’s mailroom scans the front and back of the envelope and each item inside. The scans are in color, and the images are saved as PDFs. Those PDF images are then uploaded to the individual’s Bulletin Board for viewing on their tablet.
Once the scans are uploaded, the individual gets a notification that new documents are ready to download and view on their tablet. If you're used to your loved one receiving paper mail in hand, this is the key shift: mail now shows up digitally through their Bulletin Board.
Scanned Items
- ✓ Written correspondence (letters)
- ✓ Greeting cards
- ✓ Drawings
- ✓ Photos
Photo printing services: Photos sent directly from photo printing service companies are excluded from scanning.
Publications are not part of the scanning process. Books, magazines, newspapers, and similar items won't be scanned or photocopied for tablet delivery.
Mail flagged as "unauthorized" under IDOC incoming mail policies is also excluded. If something falls into that category, it won't be scanned or uploaded to the tablet system.
Mail addressed to the facility that gets returned to the sender is not scanned or photocopied. If a piece of mail is handled as return-to-sender, it won't show up on the Bulletin Board.
There's a specific photo exception worth knowing: IDOC will not scan or photocopy photos sent directly from photo printing service companies. So if you order prints through a photo-printing vendor and have that company mail them straight to the facility, those photos skip the scanning process entirely.
Starting September 30, 2025, publications for individuals in custody must be mailed directly from the publisher. IDOC defines "publisher" broadly here, including bookstores, book clubs, and online retailers. If you want to send a book or magazine after that date, order it through one of those sources so it ships directly to the individual.
No visitor drop-offs (starting Sept. 30, 2025): Visitors may no longer drop off books, magazines, or other publications at any facility for a specific individual in custody.
IDOC defines "privileged mail" as mail to or from certain officials. That includes the Director, Assistant Directors, Department attorneys, members of the Administrative Review Board, members of the Prisoner Review Board, and the Governor of Illinois.
Everything described above (scanning, PDF upload, Bulletin Board delivery) applies only to non-privileged mail. Privileged mail is excluded from that routine process entirely.
- Keep originals at home - Since non-privileged mail is scanned (including the envelope and what’s inside) and delivered as a PDF on the tablet, consider mailing copies of anything you would be upset to lose.
- Send “scan-friendly” content - Stick to letters, greeting cards, drawings, and photos, since those are the item types accepted for scanning and tablet delivery.
- ✓ If you are sending books or magazines after Sept. 30, 2025, order them so they ship directly from the publisher (including bookstores, book clubs, and online retailers).
- ✓ Do not plan to bring publications to drop off during a visit after Sept. 30, 2025, because visitor drop-offs for publications are not allowed.
Photos: If you want photos scanned and delivered on the tablet, don't have a photo-printing service company send them directly. Vendor-sent photos are excluded from scanning.
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