Why Your Mail Gets Photocopied (and What That Means for Photos)

For Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) general correspondence, all incoming mail gets photocopied. Your loved one receives the copies - not the originals. That greeting card you picked out? The paper you wrote on? Anything tucked inside the envelope? None of it arrives in its original form.

There's a strict limit on what gets delivered: a maximum of three 8.5" x 11" black-and-white photocopied pages per mailing. The photocopies can include both sides of a page, but the total delivered packet is still capped at three pages.

• ✓ A photocopy of the envelope may be included with what’s delivered.
• ✓ If the envelope is copied, that envelope copy counts as one of the three front-and-back photocopied pages for the mailing.
• ✓ Practically, an envelope copy can reduce how many pages of your letter or other content fit within the three-page delivery limit.

1. Plan around the three-page maximum - Only up to three 8.5" x 11" black-and-white photocopied pages (front and back) will be delivered from each mailing, so long letters may be cut down to what fits.
2. Treat the envelope like a “page” that can take up space - Because a copy of the envelope can be included and counts as one of the three pages, you may want to keep the rest of your mailing tight so your message has room.
3. Remember the limit applies to what’s delivered, not what you send - Even if you mail more, the inmate can receive only up to three photocopied pages (including any envelope copy) for that mailing.

Photos can be part of accepted mail as long as they’re appropriate. VADOC does not accept photos with pornographic, obscene, or offensive imagery, so keep pictures family-friendly and safe for a prison setting.

Here's the part that catches people off guard: the originals don't survive processing. All mail gets shredded after scanning - including photographs. Your loved one won't keep the original prints you sent, only the scanned/photocopied version.

This process changes how you should format what you send. Since only three black-and-white photocopied pages can be delivered per mailing - and a copy of the envelope may take up one of those pages - shorter letters usually land better than multi-page updates. If you include photos, stick to appropriate images and remember they'll be photocopied, not handed over as original prints.