New Package Rules Families Should Know Before Visiting Otisville
If you were planning to bring a package on visit day or mail one yourself, the rules have changed. At Otisville, all packages and articles must come directly from approved vendors, shipped through a delivery service.
At Otisville Correctional Facility, packages and articles for incarcerated individuals must come directly from vendors through delivery services like the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. Family and friends cannot mail packages directly to the facility on someone's behalf. You also cannot bring a package with you during a visit and hand it in at the facility. If you want your loved one to receive allowable items, you'll need to go through the vendor process. Dropping things off in person or sending a box from home won't work.
Source: DOCCS implements these package rules under Department Directive #4911, "Packages & Articles Sent to Facilities."
When you visit Otisville, plan as if there is no package drop-off option. Period. Even items that seem harmless or helpful cannot be brought in during visits. If you were hoping to use the visit as your chance to get things to your loved one, shift that plan earlier. Think of visiting and sending items as two separate processes: you visit in person, and you arrange any allowable packages separately through a vendor delivery.
- ✓ Use an approved vendor to send any packages or articles, rather than preparing a box yourself.
- ✓ Make sure the order is shipped through a delivery service (for example USPS, FedEx, or UPS).
- ✓ Do not mail packages directly to Otisville from home, even if you include the correct name and facility.
- ✓ Do not bring packages to the facility on visiting days, staff cannot accept them from visitors.
- ✓ Keep your order and shipping details so you can track the delivery through the carrier.
For the official rules, look to DOCCS guidance for visitors and the policy document that governs packages. Department Directive #4911 ("Packages & Articles Sent to Facilities") is the directive DOCCS points to for these vendor-only procedures. If you're trying to confirm what process to follow, start with DOCCS visitor information and the directive language. The bottom line for Otisville stays the same: packages go through vendors and delivery services, not through family mail or in-person drop-offs during visits.
Reminder: Follow the vendor instructions tied to DOCCS rules and Directive #4911. Those rules control how packages get sent to Otisville.
If you're on-site and unsure where to start, head to the Visitor Hospitality Center. It offers shelter, restrooms, a baby changing station, and lockers. Staff there can also answer questions about visitation rules and package procedures.
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