Why Your Mail Gets Photocopied (VADOC’s mail processing explained)

For regular personal mail - what VADOC calls "general correspondence" - the facility photocopies everything you send. Your loved one never sees your original letter or the paper you wrote on. They only get the copies. That's why your handwriting might look different, colors disappear entirely, and anything with sentimental value tied to the original material (like texture or keepsake quality) won't come through the way you intended.

Once VADOC makes the copies, the originals are destroyed. The envelope, the letter, any photos you included - all shredded. If you mail a one-of-a-kind photo or something irreplaceable, assume it's gone for good. It won't be returned, and it won't survive processing.

VADOC caps how much photocopied paper gets delivered from each mailing: a maximum of three 8.5" x 11" black-and-white pages. Front and back both count toward that limit. Here's what trips people up: a photocopy of the envelope counts as one of those pages too. So you have less room than you'd expect for your actual letter and anything else you enclosed.

• ✓ Keep the total deliverable content to three 8.5" x 11" photocopied pages or fewer
• ✓ Count both sides (front and back) toward the three-page maximum
• ✓ Remember the envelope copy counts as one of the three pages
• ✓ Avoid adding enclosures (extra pages or multiple photos) that can push the mailing over the limit

Legal mail works differently. VADOC requires correspondence from attorneys and courts to go to the VADOC Central Mail Distribution Center first. There, it's screened and inspected before being forwarded to the facility. Sending legal documents directly to the prison can slow things down or cause confusion - Central Mail is the required first stop.

The address you use matters as much as what you're sending. Even if your loved one is housed at a specific VADOC facility, attorney and court correspondence must route through Central Mail for screening and inspection before it goes anywhere else.

Write and pack your mail with the photocopying and page cap in mind. Don't stuff multiple photos or a long letter into one envelope expecting it all to arrive - only up to three black-and-white photocopied pages (counting front and back, plus the envelope copy) will make it through. For legal correspondence from an attorney or court, send it to the VADOC Central Mail Distribution Center as required so it can be screened, inspected, and forwarded properly.

1. Count what will be copied - Plan for a three-page maximum of 8.5" x 11" black-and-white copies, and remember front/back both count.
2. Budget for the envelope copy - The envelope is photocopied too, and that copy counts as one of the three pages.
3. Trim extras before you seal it - Remove extra pages and multiple photos that can push the mailing beyond what can be delivered.
4. Route attorney/court mail correctly - Legal correspondence from attorneys and courts must go to the VADOC Central Mail Distribution Center for screening and inspection.
5. Split content across separate mailings when needed - If you have a long letter or several photos you want them to see, consider sending them in separate envelopes so each mailing has its own three-page allowance.