How to Send Religious Books and Bible Study Materials to Someone in Prison

Religious correspondence courses, sacred texts, and Bible study materials all require pre-approval before the incarcerated person can receive them. This step lets the facility confirm what's coming and route it through proper review channels. Skip it, and your package will likely get delayed or rejected outright.

1. Fill out a Request for Assistance Form - the offender starts the process by completing the facility’s Request for Assistance Form for the specific religious correspondence course, sacred text, or Bible study they want.
2. Address it to the right staff member - the request needs to be directed to the facility chaplain, religious coordinator, or other designated staff.
3. Submit it using the facility’s normal procedure - once it’s turned in the way the facility requires, staff can review the request and handle the approval process from there.

Once approved, the materials can't go through regular mail. They must ship directly from the vendor, school, or religious institution to the correctional facility. If you're a church or program provider, send it as a direct shipment from your organization - not through a third-party mail service.

Vendor Next Steps

• ✓ Confirm the materials are pre-approved before you ship anything.
• ✓ If you can, verify the approval and any facility-specific mailing details with the chaplain, religious coordinator, or designated staff.
• ✓ Double-check the facility’s shipping address and any required identifying information for the offender.
• ✓ Ship the approved materials directly from your vendor, school, or religious institution to the correctional facility.
• ✓ Keep proof of shipment (order confirmation, tracking, and a copy of what was sent) in case the facility needs to match the package to the approved request.

Include clear order or course details with your package so mailroom and religious staff can match it to the approved request. Good documentation prevents delays - especially when multiple people are receiving similar materials from the same organization.