How Graham's Mail Scanning & Publication Rules Work: What Your Loved One Will Actually See
If you send letters or photos to someone at Graham Correctional Center, what they actually receive is usually a digital copy. Here's how IDOC mail scanning works, what gets excluded, and what changes on September 30, 2025 for books and magazines.
Non-privileged incoming mail at IDOC facilities (letters, greeting cards, photographs) gets scanned in color by the mailroom. They scan both sides of the envelope and both sides of every item inside. Those scans are saved as PDF images and uploaded to the individual's Bulletin Board for tablet viewing. This process is already in effect at IDOC facilities.
Once the scans are uploaded, your loved one gets a notification that new scanned documents are available. They can then download and view the PDFs on their tablet.
Exclusions and Special Handling
- ✓ Publications
- ✓ Photos sent directly from photo printing service companies
- ✓ Official documents mailed from a government entity (including items like birth certificates and Social Security cards)
Note: This scanning process only applies to non-privileged mail. Privileged or legal mail follows different handling rules.
Publications work differently than regular letters. Starting September 30, 2025, books, magazines, and newspapers will only be accepted if they ship directly from the publisher (or a publisher-type distributor). After that date, visitors can no longer drop off publications at the facility for a specific individual. Publications also fall on the list of items that are not scanned or photocopied, so this is a separate process from the mail scanning described above.
Quick takeaway: After September 30, 2025, order books and magazines so they ship directly from the publisher or distributor. Don't plan on bringing publications to drop off during a visit.
Before you mail anything, keep the "not scanned or photocopied" list in mind. Publications, photos sent directly from photo printing service companies, and certain official government-mailed documents (like birth certificates and Social Security cards) fall into a separate category. If you're trying to send reading material, hold off until you can send it the right way. After September 30, 2025, that means ordering it so it ships directly from the publisher or distributor.
What they'll actually see: For non-privileged letters, cards, and photos, your loved one views PDF images uploaded to their Bulletin Board on the tablet.
- Find the exact PDF on the Bulletin Board - They should identify the specific scanned letter, card, or photo they want printed.
- Write down enough details to describe it clearly - Date received, sender name, and any identifying info visible in the scan helps staff locate the right item.
- Ask about the facility’s process to print scanned mail - The request needs to be tied to that specific scanned PDF, and the facility can tell them the correct way to submit it.
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