Sending Photos to Iowa State Penitentiary: Pelipost vs. Regular Mail
Iowa DOC offers two compliant ways to send photos to someone at Iowa State Penitentiary: order professional prints through Pelipost, or mail photos through U.S. Mail (which get processed through Pigeonly's central mail system). Your choice comes down to whether you want actual photo prints delivered to the facility, or you're fine with mailed items being scanned and reproduced.
Pelipost is the approved photo print provider for all Iowa DOC facilities, including Iowa State Penitentiary. You upload your photos and place an order - Pelipost handles the printing and ships directly to the facility.
- ✓ 4x6 photo prints are permitted
- ✓ 5x7 photo prints are permitted
- ✓ Limit: 10 photos per order
Good to know: Pelipost orders are professionally printed and shipped straight to the facility, which can make them the simplest option when you want to stay within Iowa DOC’s approved photo process.
Sending photos through U.S. Mail? Iowa DOC routes all incoming non-legal mail through a central processing facility run by Pigeonly Corrections. For Iowa State Penitentiary, address your mail to PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193 - include the incarcerated person's name and ID number, plus the facility name and facility ID number. Pigeonly opens non-legal mail, scans it into a digital color copy, then prints and delivers that copy to the appropriate Iowa DOC facility. The originals aren't returned. They're temporarily stored and then securely destroyed under Iowa DOC policy. Pigeonly offers paid add-on services, but basic processing doesn't cost you anything extra.
Watch out: Non-legal mail sent directly to an Iowa DOC facility will be returned to sender. And originals sent through the Pigeonly process won't come back - they're stored temporarily, then securely destroyed.
Even with Pelipost, photos still go through facility review. Prints ship to the correctional facility and pass through the normal screening process before your loved one receives them.
Stick to permitted Pelipost products to avoid delivery issues. Iowa DOC allows Pelipost photo prints in 4x6 or 5x7, with a limit of 10 photos per order. If you have more to send, split them across multiple orders.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Use Pelipost 4x6 or 5x7 prints and keep each order to 10 photos max
- ✓ Don’t mail irreplaceable original photos if you’re using U.S. Mail - Pigeonly scans and prints a copy, and the originals are stored temporarily and then securely destroyed
- ✓ For non-legal mail, send it to the central processing address (PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193) so it doesn’t get returned for being mailed directly to the facility
Optional: Pigeonly offers paid add-on services if you want features beyond standard mail processing.
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