How to Send Mail to Someone at Lincoln Correctional Center — what gets scanned, what’s delivered, and how to address it

For business mail to Lincoln Correctional Center, use the facility's business mailing address exactly as listed: 1098 1350th Street, P.O. Box 549, Lincoln, IL 62656.

Mail for a specific person at Lincoln must include their name and IDOC number. Address it to the individual in custody (Name and IDOC#) at P.O. Box 549, Lincoln, IL 62656. Getting the IDOC number right matters. It's how the mailroom routes your letter to the correct person.

Lincoln's facility page directs families to an IDOC one-pager that explains the current process for non-privileged mail and the publications rules. If you want the official, statewide wording IDOC is using for these changes, that one-pager is the document the facility references.

IDOC facilities now scan and/or photocopy all incoming non-privileged mail. This change is already in effect. A typical letter you send will be scanned rather than delivered in its original form.

After scanning, mailroom staff upload PDF images of the mail to the individual's Bulletin Board. Your loved one then gets a notification on their tablet that new scanned documents are available to download and view.

There's no fee for this electronic scanning process. IDOC's policy is clear: neither you nor your loved one pays anything for scanned non-privileged mail.

If your loved one doesn't have access to a tablet for any reason, they still get their mail. IDOC provides paper photocopies in that situation.

Not everything goes through the scanning process. IDOC lists several categories that are not scanned or photocopied, including publications, photos sent directly from photo printing service companies, and official documents mailed from a government entity (think birth certificates and Social Security cards).

A separate rule applies to books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications. Starting September 30, 2025, publications for individuals in custody will only be accepted if mailed directly from a publisher. Visitors can no longer drop off publications at the facility for a specific individual, either.

Acceptance is tied to the postmark date. Publications postmarked on or before September 30, 2025 will be accepted. Anything postmarked after that date gets returned to the sender.

There are exceptions to the publisher-only rule. It does not apply to materials received for programs under the Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services, other approved programs, the facility library, or religious programs.

IDOC defines "publisher" broadly, and online retailers count. That means Amazon.com and Walmart.com are acceptable senders for publications under this rule.

If you want photo originals delivered instead of scanned, how you send them matters. Photos mailed directly from a photo printing service company are exempt from the scanning/photocopying process. The IDOC one-pager explains that original photographs from a photo printing vendor will be delivered unless they're considered unauthorized. For regular letters and photo mail that does get scanned, IDOC also says it does not intend to limit the number of photos or pieces of paper you can send in a single envelope.

Once non-privileged mail is scanned, it's uploaded as a PDF to the individual's Bulletin Board, and a notification goes to their tablet. If they don't have tablet access, IDOC provides paper photocopies instead.

1. Fill out DOC Form 028 - this is the Individual in Custody Request Form.
2. Write “Mail Print Request” on the form - this tells staff the request is for a printed copy of scanned mail.
3. Add the document number - the number is handwritten on the scanned document, and it begins with the individual’s IDOC number.

The scanning process doesn't cost families or individuals in custody anything. IDOC's FAQ answer is simply "No" when asked whether there's a fee for electronic mail scanning.

• ✓ Assume you will not get originals back after scanning. Mail a copy and keep the original if you need it.
• ✓ Put the individual’s name and IDOC number on the mail, and send it to the correct P.O. Box 549 address so it can be routed properly.

Quick Checklist

• ✓ Address it to the individual in custody by name and IDOC number, and mail it to P.O. Box 549, Lincoln, IL 62656.
• ✓ After September 30, 2025, send books and magazines only from a publisher (including major online retailers). Do not try to drop them off.
• ✓ For photo originals, use a photo printing service company so they are treated as an exception to scanning.
• ✓ Do not mail one‑of‑a‑kind originals you need back. Originals are not returned after scanning.