How IDOC's Mail Scanning Works (and How to Send Legal/Privileged Mail to Joliet Treatment Center)
IDOC's mail rules can feel confusing—especially since most personal mail now arrives digitally. Here's how mail scanning works at Joliet Treatment Center, what doesn't get scanned, and how to properly label legal or privileged mail.
When you send non-privileged mail, IDOC mailroom staff scan everything in color - the envelope (front and back) plus each item inside, including letters, greeting cards, and photographs. Those scans become PDF images uploaded to the incarcerated person's Bulletin Board. They won't receive the original paper. Instead, they get a notification and can view or download the PDFs on their tablet.
Note: Non-privileged mail is delivered digitally. Your letter and photos are scanned and appear as PDFs on the recipient's tablet Bulletin Board.
Some items skip the scanning process entirely. Publications aren't scanned or photocopied. Neither are official documents mailed from government entities - things like birth certificates and Social Security cards.
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- ✓ Padded envelopes with gray diamond dust
- ✓ Corrugated cardboard boxes mailed from family and friends
- ✓ Mail with stains or discoloration (including perfume, lipstick, oily substances, unusual stains, or bodily fluids)
Warning: If your mail is scented or visibly stained/contaminated, it can be rejected instead of being delivered.
If you’re sending privileged/legal mail to someone at Joliet Treatment Center, label it clearly. The envelope must be marked “privileged” or “legal,” and it also needs the sender’s name, title, and address so staff can identify who it’s from.
Privileged and legal mail gets handled differently. Staff open it only with the incarcerated person present. They're checking for contraband, verifying the sender's identity, and confirming the contents are actually legal or official matter - nothing more.
Remember: Clearly mark legal/privileged mail with the sender’s name, title, and address, and expect it to be opened only with the recipient present for contraband/identity checks.
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- ✓ For personal letters/photos, expect scanning: your envelope and contents are scanned in color and delivered as PDFs to the person’s tablet Bulletin Board.
- ✓ Keep mail clean and plain - avoid anything that could be treated as prohibited, like padded “diamond dust” envelopes, corrugated cardboard packaging, or mail with perfume, lipstick, oily marks, stains, or bodily fluids.
- ✓ For legal/privileged mail, write “privileged” or “legal” on the envelope and include the sender’s name, title, and address.
- ✓ If you’re sending publications or official government documents (like birth certificates or Social Security cards sent from a government entity), know these items aren’t scanned or photocopied.
Note: Scanned mail appears as an image or PDF on a tablet. Disallowed or contaminated items get stopped before they ever reach the scanning step.
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