What Happens to Your Mail After You Send It to Lawrence Correctional Center
Expecting your loved one to hold your actual letter? Lawrence Correctional Center's mail process might surprise you. Here's what happens to most incoming, non-privileged mail—and what commonly gets rejected.
Mailroom staff scan the front and back of every envelope, plus each item inside, in color. Letters, greeting cards, photos - everything gets captured as an image.
Those scanned images become PDFs and get uploaded to your loved one's Bulletin Board for tablet viewing. The "delivery" they receive is this digital copy - not the original paper you mailed.
- ✓ Expect your loved one to view your letter, card, and photos on their tablet as scanned PDFs - not as the original paper items.
- ✓ If something matters to keep as an original (for sentimental or practical reasons), think twice before putting it in regular non-privileged mail.
- ✓ Keep your mailing straightforward (letters, greeting cards, photos), since the mailroom will be scanning the envelope and everything inside in color.
Publications work differently. They're not scanned or photocopied, so don't expect them to show up as a PDF like regular letters and photos do.
Government-issued documents mailed from a government entity - birth certificates, Social Security cards - also skip the scanning process. You won't see these on the tablet Bulletin Board the way you would a regular letter.
Note: Most non-privileged mail is scanned and uploaded for tablet viewing, but publications and qualifying official documents are handled outside that scanning/photocopying process.
Photos are a common reason mail gets rejected. IDOC may turn away images showing weapons, nudity, sexually explicit content, simulated sexual acts, or violence. Keep pictures clearly family-friendly to avoid a preventable rejection.
Packaging matters too - even if your letter is perfectly fine. IDOC prohibits envelopes padded with gray diamond dust and corrugated cardboard boxes sent by family and friends.
Always include a return address. Mail without one won't be accepted - your loved one may never see it, and you might not find out what happened if it can't be sent back.
- ✓ Don’t send photos showing weapons, nudity/sexually explicit content, simulated sexual acts, or violence.
- ✓ Avoid prohibited packaging like gray-dust padded envelopes and corrugated cardboard boxes from family/friends.
- ✓ Put a clear return address on everything you mail.
Tip: If a photo seems borderline - suggestive, violent, or easy to misread - swap it out before mailing. Same goes for unusual packaging. When in doubt, contact the facility first.
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