What You Need to Know Before Sending Books or Magazines to an Inmate at Yellowstone County
You can send reading material to someone at Yellowstone County, but the rules are strict—especially about where the package ships from and what format the book is in. Follow these guidelines to avoid having your order refused or returned.
Yes, friends and family can send books or magazines to someone at Yellowstone County - as long as the order follows facility rules. The key requirement: items must ship directly from a recognized publisher or distributor. Everything gets inspected before reaching the recipient.
To avoid rejection, stick to these basics: paperback only (no spiral bindings or metal/plastic binding pieces), new items only, and nothing larger than 8.5 x 11 inches. You're limited to 5 items per shipment. Content restrictions apply too - no fighting instruction, weapon or drug-making information, pornographic content or nudity, or "how-to" manipulation/inflammatory material. Don't tuck in extras like loose paper, art supplies, or game pieces.
Yellowstone County accepts paperback books only. Hardcovers won't make it through, and neither will anything with spiral bindings or metal/plastic binding pieces. Books must be new - used copies, even clean-looking ones, risk rejection.
Size trips people up too. Each book or magazine must be 8.5 x 11 inches or smaller.
Keep your order small. You may send a maximum of 5 books/magazines per shipment.
Prohibited
- ✓ Martial arts or fighting instruction
- ✓ Weapon-making or drug-making content
- ✓ Pornographic content
- ✓ Nudity
- ✓ “How-to” manipulation content or inflammatory content
- ✓ Extra items tucked into the package (art supplies, paper, game pieces, etc.)
Order through a recognized publisher or distributor and have items shipped directly to the facility. Packages from unknown third-party sellers aren't accepted. The facility lists barnesandnoble.com, powells.com, and amazon.com as examples. If you use Amazon, check the listing carefully - make sure the item ships from Amazon itself, not a third-party seller. That's a common reason shipments get rejected.
Use the facility’s shipping format so staff can match the package to the right person: INMATE’S FULL NAME 3165 King Ave E Billings, Montana 59101
All packages get inspected for contraband and screened for appropriate content before reaching the recipient.
If something doesn't meet the rules or raises security concerns, staff will refuse it. Rejected items get returned to the sender or placed in the inmate's property. The facility isn't responsible for lost or refused items - or the shipping costs - so double-check your order details before clicking "buy."
Quick Checklist
- ✓ The order ships from an unknown third-party seller instead of a recognized publisher/distributor
- ✓ The book is hardcover or has spiral/metal/plastic binding pieces
- ✓ The content includes fighting instruction, weapon/drug-making info, pornographic content/nudity, or manipulation/inflammatory “how-to” material
- ✓ You pack extra items in the shipment (paper, art supplies, game pieces, etc.)
- ✓ The package isn’t addressed with the inmate’s full name and the facility’s shipping address
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