What You Can (and Can't) Send in the Mail to Mid-State Correctional Facility — letters, photos, and books
Mail rules at Mid-State Correctional Facility are strict, but they're predictable once you know the categories. Here's what's allowed, what's not, and how to handle books and publications.
For Mid-State Correctional Facility, Pigeonly processes non-privileged mail like letters (including drawings), greeting cards, and postcards. If what you're sending fits one of those categories, you're on the right track. Keep your message simple - mail that reads as personal correspondence moves through faster than anything resembling a publication or bundled content.
Photos are allowed, but size and quantity matter. Pigeonly processes 4x6 photos for Mid-State, with a limit of 10 photos per parcel. Got more than 10? Split them across multiple mailings so you don't lose the whole batch to a quantity issue.
Sending something that isn't a letter, card, postcard, or 4x6 photo? Double-check the current rules first. Items that look like publications or bulk content get treated differently than personal correspondence - and that's where avoidable rejections happen.
Envelopes must be no larger than 4 inches by 9½ inches. Skip oversized or bulky formats - they won't make it through.
Letters must be on paper no larger than 8½ inches by 11 inches. Wrote on something bigger? Copy it onto standard letter paper before sending.
Don’t skip this: All mail must include a return name and address. If your return info is missing, your mail may not make it through processing.
Books, periodicals, and other publications follow different rules than personal mail. For NJDOC facilities, these must ship directly from the vendor, distributor, or publisher to the facility - Pigeonly won't process them. Want your loved one to have reading material? Order it so it ships straight from the seller to the NJDOC facility. Don't bundle it with letters or photos.
Here's a big one: NJDOC has temporarily suspended acceptance of used publications at its facilities, effective immediately. That means "used," "secondhand," or similar options can be turned away - even if the title itself would normally be allowed.
Even when ordering directly from a vendor, the title still has to be permitted. NJDOC maintains an Unauthorized Publication List of banned publications. Unsure about a specific book or magazine? Check that list first - it'll save you time and money.
Example of a prohibited title: The NJDOC Unauthorized Publication List explicitly prohibits all issues of the adult magazine “Penthouse.”
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Send only non‑privileged items Pigeonly processes for Mid‑State: letters (including drawings), greeting cards, and postcards
- ✓ If you include photos, use 4x6 prints and keep it to 10 photos per parcel
- ✓ Use an envelope no larger than 4 in. x 9½ in.
- ✓ Write letters on paper no larger than 8½ in. x 11 in.
- ✓ Put a return name and return address on every piece of mail
- ✓ Don’t send books, periodicals, or publications through Pigeonly - those must ship directly from the vendor/distributor/publisher to the NJDOC facility
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