Can You Send Books to Macomb County Jail? What Changed in 2021
Trying to get books or reading material to someone at Macomb County Jail? The rules are more specific than most people expect. Here's what changed in 2021 and what your options are now.
Family and friends cannot mail soft-cover books to an inmate at Macomb County Jail. As of July 21, 2021, soft-cover books can only be ordered by the inmate through the jail's commissary program. If you used to order a paperback and have it shipped to the jail, this policy change is why it stopped going through.
Effective date: The jail’s notice states that the soft-cover book rule took effect July 21, 2021.
Even when reading material is allowed, Macomb County Jail caps how much a person can have at one time. The limit is five (5) items total. If a delivery would push them over that count, it exceeds the facility's stated maximum. Keep the number low to avoid issues.
- ✓ Count every book as 1 item
- ✓ Count each magazine as 1 item
- ✓ Count each newspaper as 1 item
- ✓ If you’re unsure whether something counts as “reading material,” treat it as an item and keep the total at 5 or less
For paperback (soft-cover) books, the only practical option is having your loved one order through commissary. The rule is straightforward: soft-cover books can only be ordered by the inmate through the jail's commissary program, not sent in through personal mail.
Want to keep them supplied with something to read? Prepaid subscriptions are treated differently than books. Prepaid magazine or newspaper subscriptions can be mailed directly to the inmate from the publisher. That "from the publisher" part matters. The rule specifically allows subscriptions that ship from the publisher, not from you.
Double-check the date: Some county jail pages show the soft-cover book change with different date formats (one mentions July 21, 2021). If the exact effective date matters for your situation, confirm the current rule with the jail directly before you spend money.
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