Penmate Inmate Support Guides

What You Can (and Can't) Mail to Someone at Eastern Oregon Corrections Institution

• 3 min read Verified from official sources

Someone at Eastern Oregon Corrections Institution can only receive two things directly from friends and family: photos and letters. That's it. Care packages from the outside are not allowed, and items like games or food will be refused. Want to send books, magazines, or newspapers? Those have to come directly from a publisher or distributor, not from you.

Paper-envelope-checklist

  • ✓ Write on standard-weight white paper (20 pounds or less).
  • ✓ Use a commercially produced white envelope made of standard-weight (20 pounds or less) white paper.
  • ✓ Keep the envelope size no larger than 9" x 12".

Note: Incoming mail must be written in pen or lead pencil, or it can be typewritten or photocopied. Crayon and marker are not allowed.

Warning: Envelopes with security features are not allowed. A common example is blue or purple “security tinting” printed on the inside of the envelope.

  1. Look up their exact DOC name and SID number: Use the Adult in Custody Lookup System (Oregon Offender Search) so you have the name as it appears on DOC records (no nicknames) and the Oregon SID#.
  2. Write the recipient line with the exact name and SID#: Put the AIC’s DOC-record name and SID number clearly on the envelope.
  3. Add the facility name and full mailing address: Use the correct facility name and complete address: Eastern Oregon C.I., 2500 Westgate, Pendleton, OR 97801.
  4. Include your full return address: Put your complete name and address in the return address area so the mail can be returned if it is refused.

Keep it simple. Adults in custody at Eastern Oregon Corrections Institution can receive photos and letters directly from friends or family, but greeting cards and postcards are not allowed. Care packages from the outside are off-limits too. If you want to send something "extra," your safest bet is a regular letter with photos that follow the paper, envelope, and writing rules.

Books, magazines, and newspapers must be mailed directly from a publisher or distributor to the adult in custody. Don't mail reading materials yourself, even if they're brand new. Oregon DOC has a specific process for ordering these items so they ship straight from the distributor to the institution.

Note: Oregon's mail rule (Division 291-131, Mail (AIC)) was revised, with changes taking effect January 13, 2025. If you send mail regularly, check the DOC mail rules from time to time so your letters don't get rejected.

Troubleshooting

  • ✓ The name on the envelope is a nickname or does not match DOC records: re-address it using the AIC’s exact DOC name.
  • ✓ The SID# is missing or incorrect: confirm the Oregon SID number in the Adult in Custody Lookup System, then resend.
  • ✓ The envelope is the wrong type or size: switch to a commercially produced white envelope, standard-weight (20 pounds or less), no larger than 9" x 12".
  • ✓ The paper is not standard white copy paper: rewrite or reprint on white paper that is 20 pounds or less.

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