Sending Books & Publications to Someone at Pontiac After Sept. 30, 2025: What Changed and What You Must Do
Sending books, magazines, or newspapers to someone at Pontiac? The rules change on September 30, 2025. Here's what's different, what still gets accepted, and how to send publications so they actually reach your loved one.
Starting September 30, 2025, Pontiac Correctional Center will only accept publications mailed directly from the publisher. The publication has to ship from a publisher (as Pontiac/IDOC defines it) - not from you, a friend, or any personal return address. That same date ends visitor drop-offs too. After September 30, visitors can no longer bring in books, magazines, or other publications for someone at Pontiac.
Important (effective Sept. 30, 2025): Publications must be mailed directly from the publisher, and visitors are no longer allowed to drop off books, magazines, or other publications.
Pontiac uses the postmark date as the cutoff. Publications postmarked September 30, 2025 or earlier will be accepted. Anything postmarked after September 30, 2025 gets returned to sender. It's not about when you click "order" or when the package arrives - the postmark date controls whether it's accepted.
Watch the postmark: If a publication is postmarked after Sept. 30, 2025, Pontiac says it will be returned to the sender.
The publication has to ship directly from the publisher. Pontiac/IDOC uses a broad definition here: "publisher" includes not just traditional publishers, but also organizations that distribute publications through mail order or otherwise deliver them to readers.
- ✓ A publisher
- ✓ A book club
- ✓ A bookstore
- ✓ A book, magazine, or newspaper distributor
- ✓ Religious organizations or ministries that deliver publications to readers
- ✓ Educational institutions that conduct mail order business or deliver publications
- ✓ Units of government that conduct mail order business or otherwise deliver publications
- Choose a publisher-source option - Make sure the order will be mailed directly from the publisher (as Pontiac/IDOC defines “publisher”), not shipped from an individual.
- Confirm it will be mailed (not dropped off) - After Sept. 30, 2025, visitor drop-offs of books, magazines, and other publications are not allowed, so plan on mail-only delivery.
- Protect the postmark date - Pontiac will accept publications only if the postmark is dated Sept. 30, 2025 or earlier; anything postmarked after that is returned to the sender.
- Order early enough for mailing - Build in time so the sender can actually get it into the mail by the cutoff date when timing matters.
- Save your order details - Keep your receipt/order confirmation so you can reference who mailed it and when you placed the order (especially if you’re trying to meet the postmark deadline).
Tip: When timing matters, ask the sender to confirm the mailing date - Pontiac’s acceptance is tied to the postmark, not the delivery date.
IDOC facilities scan and photocopy most incoming non-privileged mail, but publications are handled differently. Publications sent to Pontiac won't be scanned or photocopied as part of that process.
Good to know: Publications are listed as an exception - they won’t be scanned or photocopied under the non-privileged mail scanning process.
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