What Happens to the Letters You Send to East Moline: Mail Scanning, Prohibited Items, and Confiscation

At East Moline, incoming non-privileged mail goes through a scanning system. Mailroom staff scan the front and back of the envelope in color, then scan each item inside (letters, greeting cards, photographs) in color as well. Once scanned, the images are converted into PDF files and uploaded to the individual's Bulletin Board. The person you're writing gets a notification that new scanned documents are available, and they can download and view them on their tablet. If you're used to your loved one receiving the original paper letter, this is the big change: what you send arrives as a scanned image they view electronically.

Not everything goes through the scanner. Publications are not scanned or photocopied. Official documents mailed from a government entity are also exempt. This includes items like birth certificates and Social Security cards. If you need to get an original government document to someone inside, know that it won't be converted into a PDF for tablet viewing the way regular personal mail is.

IDOC bans certain materials in incoming correspondence, and these rules apply at East Moline. Some envelope and packaging types are prohibited outright, including envelopes padded with gray diamond dust and corrugated cardboard boxes mailed from family and friends. The condition of the paper matters too. Mail with stains or discoloration is prohibited. That includes perfume, lipstick, oily substances, unusual stains, or bodily fluids. Decorations can also get your mail rejected. Letters or cards with crayon, glitter, or other foreign or unknown substances on the paper won't be allowed through.

If mail is deemed unauthorized, it can be confiscated and disposed of under Department Rule 501 C. This isn't a situation where the item gets "set aside" for later delivery. Once it's classified as unauthorized, it goes through a formal confiscation and disposal process.

• ✓ Within 30 days of notice of confiscation, have the property shipped at the committed person’s expense or have it picked up by a person designated in writing.
• ✓ Within 30 days of notice of confiscation, request in writing that the property be destroyed.
• ✓ Within 30 days of notice of confiscation, indicate in writing that a grievance has been filed about the confiscation.

1. Write with scanning in mind. Non-privileged mail is scanned in color, including the envelope and each item inside, then uploaded as PDFs to the person’s Bulletin Board for tablet viewing.
2. Use a standard envelope only. Do not send envelopes padded with gray diamond dust.
3. Skip package-style mail from home. Do not mail corrugated cardboard boxes from family and friends.
4. Keep paper clean and unscented. Mail with stains or discoloration (including perfume, lipstick, oily substances, unusual stains, or bodily fluids) is prohibited.
5. Avoid craft materials and “extras” on the page. Do not use crayon, glitter, or other foreign or unknown substances on the paper.