What You Can (and Can’t) Mail to an Inmate at FCI Hazelton: Books, Magazines, and Package Rules

Mail rules can feel unforgiving - one wrong item or the wrong sender, and your package gets rejected. This guide covers the biggest problem areas at FCI Hazelton: how books and magazines are treated under Bureau of Prisons (BOP) publication rules, and why packages from home are generally prohibited unless you have written approval and the contents fall into a narrow exception.

Inmates at FCI Hazelton can receive commercial publications - books, magazines, and similar materials - without prior approval, as long as the content doesn't create a security problem. The BOP standard is simple: the material can't threaten the security, discipline, or good order of the institution, and it can't facilitate criminal activity. If what you're sending stays within those boundaries, it's generally allowed.

Even publications can be refused. If a commercially published item violates statutory restrictions - sexually explicit material being one example - the Warden (or a designee) can have it returned to the publisher or sender. The same goes for anything that would undermine safety or order, or could support criminal activity. Cross that line, and it won't be delivered.

1. Staff flag the publication for non-distribution - the item is identified as something that can’t be provided to the inmate under the applicable restrictions.
2. The Warden (or designee) orders it returned - the publication is sent back to the publisher or sender rather than being delivered.
3. A record is kept for review - staff retain a copy of the cover and one page for appeal purposes.

When a publication is returned, the inmate gets notified. Staff keep a copy of the cover and one page from the rejected item. That documentation supports the inmate's ability to challenge the decision through the administrative remedy process - without the facility holding onto the entire publication.

Package rules are much stricter than publication rules. At FCI Hazelton, inmates cannot receive packages from home unless there's prior written approval from the inmate's unit team or another authorized staff member. Send a care package without that approval? Expect it to be refused.

• ✓ Release clothing
• ✓ Authorized medical devices

If a book or magazine is returned, it typically goes back to the publisher or original sender - it won't be held for pickup. Staff keep a limited record: a copy of the cover and one page from the publication. That documentation exists for the appeal process, not as a substitute for delivery.

From the family side, there's usually no way to argue it at the mailroom window. The inmate is the one who can pursue an administrative remedy after being notified. The retained cover and page help document what was rejected and why.

Want to get reading material in without delays? Treat it like a commercial order. Have publications shipped directly from a publisher or approved retailer. This is the cleanest way to stay within BOP rules and avoid having your shipment flagged as a prohibited package from home.