Understanding IDOC's New Mail Scanning Process: What Happens to Letters and Photos You Send
Mailing a letter or photos to someone in an Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facility? The mailroom process has changed. Here's what gets scanned, how your loved one receives it, and which items skip the scanner entirely.
When non-privileged mail arrives, IDOC mailroom staff scan the outside of the envelope in color (front and back).
The envelope isn't the only thing scanned. IDOC also scans each item inside in color: letters, greeting cards, photographs. If you send multiple pages or several photos, each one becomes its own image in the set.
Once scanned, the mail becomes PDF images uploaded to your loved one's Bulletin Board on their tablet. They get a notification that new documents are available, then they can download and view what you sent.
Note: IDOC says these new processes for non-privileged incoming mail and publications are effective immediately.
Some items skip the scanner. Publications aren't scanned or photocopied. Neither are official government documents (birth certificates, Social Security cards) mailed directly from a government entity.
Packages follow a different process. IDOC x-rays or fluoroscopes all incoming packages, then opens and inspects them for contraband before delivery.
Addressing for Speed
- ✓ Put the person’s IDOC number close to their name on the envelope to help with prompt processing (for example: “Name, IDOC #________”).
Find an Inmate at Murphysboro Re-Entry Life Skills, IL
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
