Sending Photos to Someone at IMCC: Pelipost vs. Sending Through Pigeonly/US Mail
Want to send photos to someone at IMCC? You've got two main options: Pelipost (the Iowa DOC-approved photo vendor) or mailing photos through Pigeonly/US Mail. Which one makes sense depends on whether you want professionally printed products delivered directly to the facility, or you're fine with your mailed photos being scanned and reprinted as copies.
Pelipost is the approved photo print provider for all Iowa DOC facilities, including IMCC. You upload your photos and place an order through their system - no mailing loose prints yourself. Once approved, they print and ship professional photo products directly to the facility.
Note: Photos you upload to Pelipost are screened by Iowa DOC facility personnel to make sure they follow Iowa DOC rules and regulations before they’re approved for printing and shipment.
Here's why this matters: Iowa DOC routes regular non-legal mail through a central offsite processing facility, not directly to IMCC. If you drop non-legal mail straight in the mailbox addressed to an Iowa DOC facility, it gets returned to you. Pelipost works differently - it's a separate, facility-approved vendor pathway specifically for photo products.
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- ✓ 4x6 photos (limit 10)
- ✓ 5x7 photos (limit 10)
- ✓ Greeting cards
- ✓ Notes
You can also send photos through US Mail using Pigeonly addresses. Here's how Iowa DOC's central mail process works: Pigeonly opens non-legal mail, scans it into a digital color copy, then prints and delivers that copy to the appropriate facility. Your loved one receives the printed scan - not the original photos you put in the envelope.
Pigeonly also offers paid add-ons beyond basic mail processing, including card, photo, and messaging services.
Warning: Original paper mail that Pigeonly opens won’t be returned to you. It’s temporarily stored and then securely destroyed under Iowa DOC policy.
Both routes involve screening. With Pelipost, Iowa DOC facility personnel review your uploaded photos for compliance before approving your order. With Pigeonly/US Mail, your items are opened and scanned into digital copies, then printed and delivered through Iowa DOC's central mail system.
If you want professionally printed photo products through an Iowa DOC-approved provider, Pelipost is designed for exactly that - they ship directly to the facility once your images pass review. Prefer mailing physical photos? You can use the Pigeonly/US Mail addresses, but remember: everything goes through central processing (opened, scanned, printed as a copy). Your loved one won't receive the actual prints you put in the envelope.
Keep in mind: Pelipost uploads are screened by facility personnel. Mail sent through Pigeonly is opened, and originals aren't returned - they're stored temporarily, then destroyed.
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- ✓ Use Pelipost if you want the Iowa DOC-approved photo provider to print and ship photo products to IMCC (4x6 or 5x7 photos are limited to 10; greeting cards and notes are also permitted).
- ✓ Use Pigeonly/US Mail if you want to send photos through the mail to the central processing address, knowing your mail will be opened, scanned into a digital color copy, then printed and delivered to the facility.
- ✓ Plan around screening either way, and remember that originals sent through Pigeonly won’t be returned.
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