Sending Books and Magazines After Sept. 30, 2025: What Families Need to Know for Dixon and Other Illinois Prisons

Starting September 30, 2025, publications sent to people in custody at Dixon must arrive by mail, and they'll only be accepted if they come directly from the publisher. You can still send reading material. You just have to order it so the publisher (or an approved publisher-type seller) ships it straight to your loved one, rather than mailing it yourself.

IDOC tied the change to the postmark date. Publications received at Dixon with a postmark of September 30, 2025 or earlier will still be accepted. Anything postmarked after September 30, 2025 gets returned to the sender, even if you placed the order earlier and it just shipped late.

• ✓ Check the ship date and the postmark date, not just the date you placed the order.
• ✓ Build in extra time for processing and shipping so the package is not postmarked after September 30, 2025.
• ✓ If you are ordering close to the cutoff, choose a faster shipping option so the order is postmarked on time.

IDOC uses a broad definition of "publisher" for Dixon. It covers traditional publishers, book clubs, bookstores, and other book, magazine, or newspaper distributors. Religious organizations or ministries, educational institutions, and units of government that do mail-order business or otherwise deliver publications to readers also qualify. The wide definition is designed to capture the common, legitimate ways people buy and ship reading material.

• ✓ Traditional book publishers (for example, Random House Books)
• ✓ Bookstores (for example, Barnes and Noble)
• ✓ Online retailers that ship books and magazines (including Amazon.com and Walmart.com)
• ✓ Book clubs and other book, magazine, or newspaper distributors
• ✓ Religious organizations or ministries
• ✓ Educational institutions
• ✓ Units of government conducting mail-order business or otherwise delivering publications

There are a few exceptions to the "direct from publisher" rule at Dixon. It does not apply to materials received for programs under the Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services, other approved programs, the facility library, or religious programs.

1. Choose a source that fits IDOC’s publisher definition. Traditional publishers, bookstores, and online retailers like Amazon.com and Walmart.com are included in IDOC’s examples.
2. Make sure the item ships directly to the facility. The key is that the publication is mailed directly from the publisher-type source to the individual in custody.
3. Watch the postmark when ordering near the deadline. Publications with a postmark of September 30, 2025 or earlier will be accepted; postmarks after that date will be returned to sender.
4. Plan shipping so the postmark lands on time. If you are cutting it close, use a faster shipping option so the order is not delayed past the cutoff.
5. Keep your order confirmation and shipping details. If something gets returned because it was postmarked after September 30, you will want the seller to be able to see what happened and help you fix it.