How Illinois Prisons Now Handle Your Letters: The New Mail-Scanning Process
If you've been sending handwritten letters expecting them to arrive as-is, that's no longer how it works. IDOC now handles most incoming, non-privileged mail differently. Here's what happens to what you send—and what your loved one actually sees.
IDOC mailroom staff scan incoming non-privileged mail in color instead of delivering the original paper. They scan the front and back of the envelope, plus everything inside. The scanned pages become PDF images, which get uploaded to the person's Bulletin Board on their tablet.
- Mailroom staff scan your non-privileged mail in color - they scan the front and back of the envelope and the contents.
- The scanned pages are saved as PDFs and uploaded - the PDF images are posted to the individual’s Bulletin Board on their tablet.
- Your loved one gets a tablet notification - they’re notified that new scanned documents are available, and they can download and view them on the tablet.
This applies to more than just letters. Greeting cards and photographs sent as non-privileged mail also get scanned in color and uploaded as PDFs. Your loved one views them on their tablet through the Bulletin Board - not as physical items.
Not Scanned Exemptions
- ✓ Publications are not scanned or photocopied.
- ✓ Official documents mailed from a government entity (including birth certificates and Social Security cards) are not scanned or photocopied.
Items in those categories skip the scan-and-upload process entirely. Publications and certain official government documents are handled separately from regular non-privileged correspondence.
Tip: Include the person's IDOC number right next to their name on the envelope. This small step helps the mailroom process it faster.
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