Sending Books & Magazines to Someone at Joliet Treatment Center After Sept 30, 2025
If you send books, magazines, or other publications to someone at Joliet Treatment Center, here's the big change: after September 30, 2025, they have to come directly from a publisher through the mail.
Starting September 30, 2025, Joliet Treatment Center will only accept publications mailed directly from a publisher. You can't buy a book, box it up yourself, and send it in. It has to ship straight from a publisher to the person in custody.
Heads up: After September 30, visitors cannot drop off books, magazines, or other publications at Joliet Treatment Center for a specific person.
The postmark date is what counts. Publications postmarked September 30, 2025 or earlier will be accepted. Anything postmarked after that gets returned to the sender.
IDOC uses a broad definition of "publisher" for Joliet Treatment Center. It covers traditional publishers, but also book clubs, bookstores, and other book, magazine, or newspaper distributors. Religious organizations or ministries, educational institutions, and units of government that do mail-order business or otherwise deliver publications to readers all qualify too.
Online retailers count as publishers here. IDOC's guidance specifically lists Amazon.com and Walmart.com as examples, along with vendors like Bargain Books Wholesale, Book Depot, Books N Things, and Freebird Publishers. The key: the publication needs to ship directly from a qualifying publisher to the person at Joliet Treatment Center.
Exceptions
- ✓ Materials received for programs under the Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services
- ✓ Materials received for other approved programs
- ✓ Materials received for the facility library
- ✓ Materials received for religious programs
- Choose a sender that qualifies as a publisher. Under IDOC policy, “publisher” includes publishers, book clubs, bookstores, and other distributors, plus religious organizations/ministries, educational institutions, and units of government that do mail-order business.
- Order so it ships directly from the publisher. After September 30, 2025, Joliet Treatment Center will only accept publications that come through the mail directly from the publisher.
- Avoid re-shipping it yourself. If it comes to your home first and you forward it, it is not coming directly from the publisher, and it can be rejected under the publisher-only rule.
Timing tip: If you're sending something close to the cutoff, pay attention to the postmark. Postmarked September 30, 2025 or earlier? Accepted. Postmarked after that? Returned.
A few exceptions exist. Materials sent for the Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services, other approved programs, the facility library, or religious programs are handled differently under the policy.
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