What You Can and Can't Mail to an Inmate at FCI Beckley: Packages, Books, and Mail Checklist
Mail rules at FCI Beckley follow Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy. Small mistakes can mean your item gets rejected or returned. Use this guide to keep letters, publications, and approved packages from getting held up.
FCI Beckley follows BOP-wide rules for incoming mail, publications, and packages. Your letter may be opened and inspected. Books and magazines have to come the "right" way. And most packages from home aren't allowed unless the inmate has prior written approval from their unit team or other authorized staff. Plan around those three points, and you'll avoid most of the common reasons mail gets turned away.
Quick rule: An inmate generally can’t receive a package from home unless they have prior written approval from their unit team or authorized staff.
Most of the time, the answer is no. Inmates can't receive packages from home unless they get prior written approval from their unit team or another authorized staff member. Send a box "just because," and it's likely to be rejected. Before you spend money shipping anything, make sure your loved one has the go-ahead in writing for that specific package.
- ✓ Release clothing
- ✓ Authorized medical devices
Books and magazines work differently than home packages. Under BOP policy, inmates can receive magazines and hardback or paperback books only when they're sent directly from the publisher or an approved vendor. Subscriptions and other commercial publications are generally allowed without prior approval - as long as the content isn't considered a security risk or something that could facilitate criminal activity.
At BOP institutions like FCI Beckley, written correspondence falls into two categories: general mail and special mail. General correspondence gets opened and inspected by staff - not just for contraband, but also for content that could threaten the security or good order of the institution.
Special mail has more protection, but only if you send it correctly. Mark it clearly as special mail, and it can only be opened in the inmate's presence. Staff will still inspect it for physical contraband and confirm it actually qualifies as special mail.
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- ✓ Confirm your loved one is currently at FCI Beckley before you send anything.
- ✓ If you’re sending books or magazines, make sure they ship directly from the publisher (or an approved vendor), not from your home.
- ✓ Don’t mail a package from home unless the inmate already has prior written approval from their unit team or other authorized staff.
- ✓ If you’re sending one of the limited home-package exceptions, keep it strictly to release clothing or an authorized medical device.
Tip: Commercial publications are usually allowed, but they can still be rejected if the content is considered a security or discipline risk or could facilitate criminal activity.
If something gets rejected or returned, check what you sent against BOP rules. Most problems come from sending a home package without written approval or ordering books from the wrong source. Hold onto your receipt and tracking details so you can sort it out with the shipper or vendor - and figure out whether your loved one needs written approval before you try again.
Need to confirm where to send items? The BOP Inmate Locator covers people incarcerated from 1982 to the present. Keep in mind that release dates shown there may be out of date - sentences are being reviewed and recalculated under the First Step Act. Re-check the listing before mailing anything time-sensitive.
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