What Happens to Your Mail at a Federal Prison: General vs. Special Mail

Written correspondence at BOP facilities is classified as either general mail or special mail. The distinction matters. Staff handle each category differently, and the rules affect both delivery speed and privacy during inspection. Most everyday letters and cards count as general correspondence. Special mail is a separate lane with stricter handling - when properly marked, it can only be opened in front of the inmate.

Staff open and inspect general correspondence. They're checking for more than just what's physically inside the envelope - they also review content that might threaten the institution's security or good order. This is why general mail can feel slower or less predictable than you'd expect outside prison. Everything goes through routine screening, and anything raising a safety or security concern gets flagged.

Special mail follows different rules - but only when it's clearly marked as special mail. Properly marked special mail can only be opened in the inmate's presence. That doesn't mean it skips inspection. Staff still check for physical contraband and verify whether any enclosures actually qualify as special mail.

Publications work a little differently than personal letters. Under BOP rules, inmates can receive magazines and hardback or paperback books sent directly from the publisher. No prior approval is needed - as long as the material isn't considered detrimental to security, discipline, or good order (or something that could facilitate criminal activity). Here's the detail families often miss: "directly from the publisher" matters. If you're sending reading material, where it ships from can be just as important as what the book or magazine is.

• ✓ Send magazines and books directly from the publisher (hardback or paperback)
• ✓ Don’t assume a publication is automatically allowed; it can still be rejected if it’s considered detrimental to security, discipline, or good order
• ✓ When you can control it, choose a publisher-direct shipment for books and magazine subscriptions

Sender Tips

• ✓ Clearly mark legitimate special mail as “special mail” so it’s handled under the special-mail opening rule
• ✓ For books and magazines, use a publisher-direct shipment
• ✓ If you’re unsure whether something counts as special mail or whether a publication will be accepted, ask the institution for guidance before you send it

In the BOP, written mail is either general or special. General correspondence gets opened and inspected for contraband and content that could threaten institutional security or good order. Special mail only receives its stricter handling when clearly marked - and even then, staff still inspect for physical contraband and confirm enclosures qualify. Books and magazines can be received without prior approval when sent directly from the publisher, unless the publication is considered harmful to security, discipline, or good order.