Sending Books, Publications, and Photos to Taylorville: What Families Need to Know

Starting September 30, 2025, Taylorville Correctional Center will only accept books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications if they're mailed directly from the publisher. After that date, the safe approach is to order reading material through an approved publisher source so it ships straight to your loved one.

IDOC defines

The postmark is what counts. Publications postmarked September 30, 2025 or earlier will be accepted. Anything postmarked after that date gets returned to sender - unless it came directly from a publisher.

Who Counts As Publisher

• ✓ A traditional book publisher (for example, Random House)
• ✓ A bookstore (for example, Barnes & Noble)
• ✓ An online retailer that ships books directly (for example, Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
• ✓ A book club
• ✓ Other book, magazine, or newspaper distributors
• ✓ Religious organizations or ministries
• ✓ Educational institutions
• ✓ Units of government that conduct mail-order business or otherwise deliver publications to readers

After September 30, 2025, visitors can't drop off books, magazines, or other publications for someone at Taylorville. Plan to mail publications through an approved source instead of bringing them on visit day.

For non-privileged incoming mail, Taylorville uses a scanning process. Mailroom staff scan the front and back of the envelope - plus everything inside (letters, greeting cards, photographs) - in color. Those scanned images get uploaded as PDFs to the recipient's Bulletin Board, and they receive a notification to download and view them on their tablet.

Not everything goes through scanning. IDOC policy exempts certain items at Taylorville, including publications. Photos sent directly from photo-printing service companies skip the scanner too, as do official government documents (like birth certificates or Social Security cards) mailed from a government entity.

Want your loved one to receive actual printed photos? The source matters. Original photographs mailed directly from a photo-printing vendor - with the vendor's watermark or logo - will be delivered unless the photos are otherwise unauthorized. This includes photos you order yourself, as long as the vendor prints and mails them directly to the facility.

Practical Steps

• ✓ Order books or magazines so they ship directly from a “publisher” source (examples IDOC gives include Random House, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and Walmart.com)
• ✓ If you’re mailing a publication yourself, make sure it’s postmarked September 30, 2025 or earlier - anything postmarked after that is expected to be returned to sender unless it was mailed directly from a publisher
• ✓ Don’t bring books, magazines, or other publications to drop off during a visit after September 30, 2025 - use mail from the publisher instead

A few exceptions exist. The publisher-only rule doesn't apply to materials for Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services programs, other approved programs, the facility library, or religious programs. Sending something for one of these purposes? Coordinate through the relevant program or approved channel so it's clearly identified as program, library, or religious material.