5 Things You Can't Send to an Inmate (And What You Can Send Instead)

Sending mail to someone at Kansas City RRM is one of the easiest ways to stay connected. But it's also easy to waste time and money on items that get rejected. Here's what you can't send, what works instead, and how to avoid the most common mistakes with packages and books.

At Kansas City RRM, written correspondence is classified as either general mail or special mail. General correspondence is opened and inspected by staff for contraband and for content that could threaten the security or good order of the institution. If you’re sending regular letters, assume they’ll be screened before they reach your loved one, and keep what you include simple and rule-friendly.

Packages from home are the big one. Inmates at Kansas City RRM can't receive packages sent from home unless there's prior written approval from the unit team or authorized staff. Without that approval, your options are extremely limited - the only packages allowed are those containing release clothing or authorized medical devices.

Anything that looks like contraband - or could hide it - gets stopped during screening. Adding extra items to a letter is a common way mail gets delayed or rejected. Want to send reading material? Skip the letter route. Books and magazines have to come through the approved publications process.

• ✓ Don’t send packages from home unless the inmate has prior written approval from their unit team or an authorized staff member.
• ✓ If you do need to send something from home, stick to what’s allowed without special arrangements: release clothing or authorized medical devices.
• ✓ For reading material, use publisher-direct shipments for magazines and hard/paperback books.
• ✓ Keep your order confirmations/receipts so you can track what was sent and how it was shipped if there’s an issue.

Books and magazines must come directly from the publisher. Don't buy a book, write your loved one's name on it, and mail it yourself - that won't work. Instead, place an order that ships straight from the publisher or an approved source to the facility.

Even when you follow every rule, mail takes time. Staff open and inspect general correspondence for contraband and anything that might threaten facility security. This screening creates delays. Keeping your letters straightforward - and sending publications the right way - helps your mail move through faster.

1. Save your proof of purchase and shipping details - keep receipts and order confirmations, especially for books and magazines.
2. Ask your loved one to check with their unit team - packages from home require prior written approval from the unit team or authorized staff, and they can clarify what happened.
3. Adjust your next send based on the rule that applies - if it was a publication, resend it only as a publisher-direct shipment; if it was a home package, don’t resend unless written approval is in place (with the limited exceptions for release clothing and authorized medical devices).