How to send a personal letter to someone at Pinckneyville Correctional Center

These instructions are for ordinary, non-privileged personal mail. Under IDOC’s system-wide rules, you should send mail to the facility where your loved one is housed. You can use the individual in custody search to find their IDOC number and facility.

1. Put your loved one’s name and IDOC number together on the envelope, with the number near their name.
2. For someone housed at Pinckneyville, use this address:
3. Recipient’s name & IDOC number
4. 5835 State Route 154
5. Pinckneyville, IL 62274

IDOC accepts written correspondence, greeting cards, drawings and photos for scanning. It strongly recommends black ink for written correspondence because light-colored ink or pencil can reduce image quality when your loved one views it on a tablet.

1. Write your letter, preferably in black ink.
2. Put your loved one’s name and IDOC number on each enclosed page, photo or other document, keeping the number near their name to help with prompt processing.

Under IDOC’s system-wide mail rules updated March 18, 2026, staff scan or photocopy ordinary personal mail in color, including the front and back of the envelope and each enclosed item. Scanned mail is uploaded to the recipient’s electronic device or printed for physical delivery; color photocopies are delivered physically. Electronic mail scanning is free for both you and your loved one.

IDOC delivers original photographs without digitizing them when they come directly from a legitimate, verifiable business that prints and mails photographs. To qualify, the photographs must be free of contraband, unopened and bear their original watermarks. This differs from ordinary photos you enclose with a letter, which go through the scanning or photocopying process.

Privileged and legal mail follow a separate process. IDOC does not scan or photocopy that mail.

IDOC provides photocopies when your loved one cannot adequately access mail electronically. This includes access problems caused by disability or impairment, restrictive housing, technological malfunction or other reasons.

As of March 18, 2026, printouts are provided on standard copy paper; cardstock is a future option, with recipients to be notified when it becomes available. Your loved one can request a color reproduction of cards, drawings, photographs or other mail at no cost by completing a DOC 0286 Individual in Custody Staff Request Form.