Can I Send Books, Magazines, or Newspapers to Someone at SICI? Rules Families Need to Know
If you want to send reading material to someone at SICI, the biggest rule is simple: you can't mail publications yourself. Books, magazines, and newspapers have to come directly from the publisher or an IDOC-approved vendor.
You can't send books, magazines, or newspapers directly to a resident at SICI. Mailing a book from home or forwarding an issue you already received won't pass. Publications must ship directly from the publisher or from an IDOC-approved vendor. The safest approach: order from an approved source and have it shipped straight to the resident.
IDOC maintains a list of approved vendors that can ship books and other publications to residents. That list includes Edward R. Hamilton, Thrift Books, Discover Books, More than Words, Prison Book Program, Books a Million, Books N Things, Sure Shot Books, The Women's Prison Book Project, and Idaho Prison Arts Collective. What matters isn't which store you buy from. It's who the package actually ships from. For SICI, publications need to come directly from the publisher or one of these IDOC-approved vendors.
Heads up: Amazon is not currently an approved vendor for sending publications to residents.
When you place the order, make sure it ships directly to the resident from the publisher or an IDOC-approved vendor, not from you. IDOC also requires that publications arrive with a receipt or invoice. If you're ordering online, that typically means the vendor's packing slip or invoice included in the shipment.
Book Size Format
- ✓ Softcover books only
- ✓ Maximum size: 11 inches long x 8 1/2 inches wide x 3 inches thick
- Confirm a softcover version is not available: Hardback approval is only an option when there is no softcover edition.
- Have the resident request approval from facility administration: The resident must seek permission through the facility.
- Keep the request within the allowed categories: Hardback books are limited to educational, legal, or religious materials.
Magazines and newspapers follow the same core rule, with one extra detail. They must be mailed directly from the publisher, and the shipment needs a printed delivery label showing the IDOC resident's name and address. Just like with books, you can't send issues yourself, even if you already have them in hand.
- ✓ The magazine or newspaper ships directly from the publisher
- ✓ The delivery label is printed (not handwritten)
- ✓ The printed label shows the resident’s name and address
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