Sending Books and Magazines to Florence ADMAX: Publisher-Only Rules Explained

At USP Florence ADMAX, books and magazines must arrive directly from the publisher. For hardcover publications and newspapers, the rule is even stricter: they can only come from the publisher, a book club, or a bookstore. If you mail a book yourself, even with good intentions, it will likely be treated as a package from home and rejected under the publications rules.

Even when you order from an approved source, content can still get a publication rejected. Anything depicting or describing how to construct or use weapons, ammunition, bombs, or incendiary devices won't make it through. This includes step-by-step "how-to" material, not just news coverage or general discussion.

Publications that depict, encourage, or describe methods of escape from correctional facilities will also be turned away. Material containing blueprints, drawings, or similar descriptions of Bureau of Prisons institutions falls into this category too. Even if it looks like "just diagrams" to you, it raises security concerns.

Instructional content about making contraband is another common rejection reason. Publications describing procedures for brewing alcoholic beverages or manufacturing drugs won't be allowed in. If the book or magazine is essentially a how-to guide for producing either one, expect it to be rejected.

Publications written in code can also be rejected. Regular foreign-language materials aren't automatically a problem, but anything that appears intentionally coded will trigger rejection because staff can't reliably review it for security issues.

How to Send

• ✓ Order books and magazines so they ship directly from the publisher.
• ✓ For hardcover publications and newspapers, use only the publisher, a book club, or a bookstore (not a private individual).
• ✓ Avoid forwarding used books from home, even if they are new to the person receiving them.

When placing your order, address it clearly to the person incarcerated at USP Florence ADMAX. Use their full name exactly as it appears in BOP records, and include their register number on the shipping label if you have it. Clear addressing helps the mailroom match the package to the right person and avoids unnecessary delays.

USP Florence ADMAX does not allow packages from home unless the inmate has prior written approval from their unit team or another authorized staff member. This is separate from the publisher-only publications process. Mailing a "care package" yourself is the fastest way to have it refused.

1. Limit home packages to the approved categories - the only packages an inmate may receive from home are those containing release clothing and authorized medical devices.
2. Match the contents to the purpose - if it is not release clothing or an authorized medical device, it does not qualify as an allowed package from home.