What You Can and Can't Mail to Someone at FCI Edgefield: Books, Packages, and Special Mail

FCI Edgefield sorts written correspondence into two categories: general mail and special mail. The label determines how staff handle the envelope and what privacy protections apply.

General mail covers the everyday stuff - letters, cards, regular correspondence. Staff open and inspect it, checking for contraband and screening for anything that could threaten facility security.

Special mail gets different treatment, but only if it's properly marked. When it qualifies, staff can only open it with the inmate present. They'll still check for physical contraband and verify that any enclosures actually qualify as special mail.

Thinking about sending a care package from home? Don't. FCI Edgefield doesn't allow inmates to receive packages from home unless there's prior written approval from the inmate's unit team or other authorized staff.

• ✓ Release clothing
• ✓ Authorized medical devices

Books and magazines follow their own rules. At FCI Edgefield, inmates can only receive magazines and books - hardback or paperback - when they come directly from the publisher. Buy a book secondhand and mail it yourself? It'll likely get rejected because it didn't come from an approved source.

Hardcover publications and newspapers have even stricter requirements: they must come from the publisher, a book club, or a bookstore. The sender's address needs to be clearly visible on the outside of the package - missing or unclear return information can cause problems even when the content itself is allowed.

• ✓ Order books and magazines so they ship directly from the publisher (not from your home)
• ✓ For hardcover books and newspapers, use an approved source: publisher, book club, or bookstore
• ✓ Make sure the sender’s address is clearly printed on the outside of the package

Even publications from the right source can be excluded. The Bureau of Prisons can reject anything considered detrimental to security, discipline, or good order - or anything that could facilitate criminal activity. Staff aren't just checking where it came from. They're also evaluating the content and whether it could create safety issues inside the facility.

Certain content gets flagged regularly. Publications may be rejected if they include instructions for making weapons or bombs, describe escape methods or facility blueprints, explain how to brew alcohol or manufacture drugs, contain coded writing, or encourage violence, disruption, or criminal activity.

If your mail gets returned, it's usually because staff determined it couldn't be distributed under the publication rules - typically due to security concerns, discipline issues, or worries about facilitating criminal activity. Frustrating, yes. But it's a signal to reconsider your source or rethink the material before trying again.

1. Confirm you’re using an approved sender - For books and magazines, order so they ship directly from the publisher; for hardcover publications and newspapers, stick to the publisher, a book club, or a bookstore.
2. Double-check the outside of the package - Make sure the sender’s address is clearly identified on the package so it can be processed and returned properly if needed.
3. Screen the content before you buy - Avoid publications that include weapons or bomb instructions, escape methods, drug or alcohol manufacturing instructions, coded writing, or material that encourages violence or criminal activity.
4. Keep the Ensign Amendment in mind - If a commercially published item is sexually explicit or features nudity, it may run into restrictions tied to federal funding.
5. If you believe it was rejected unfairly, ask about the appeal process - Your loved one can request guidance inside the facility on the appropriate administrative steps to challenge a rejection.