What Happened to Sending Books? York County Prison's Digital Library & Tablet Policy
Used to mail books or magazines to someone at York County Prison? The rules changed. Here's what's allowed now, what replaced physical books, and the one narrow donation exception worth knowing about.
York County Prison stopped accepting physical copies of books and magazines starting January 1, 2024. If you try to send a paperback, a hardcover, or a magazine through the mail, it won’t be accepted under the current policy.
Heads up: Don’t mail checks, money orders, or cash through non-legal/non-privileged mail. York County Prison won’t accept them.
If you’re sending permitted standard mail, use the address exactly as listed, including the inmate’s name and ID number: Inmate and ID number York County Prison P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131
Physical books are out, but tablets are in. York County Prison now provides inmates with free access to digital books and audiobooks through their tablets. The facility describes it as a large library with thousands of titles from over 5,000 publishers - designed to take the cost of buying and shipping books off families and friends.
Tablets also open up other ways to stay in touch. For non-legal messages, York County Prison offers GTL tablet text messaging through Getting Out accounts - create an account, add funds, and message directly. TextBehind is another option: you send a message electronically, they print it and deliver it to the prison. Your loved one receives a printed copy, and the original submission is destroyed.
There's a limited exception for donated religious books, but you can't just drop them off. All donated religious books must be pre-approved by Chaplain Darin Schoch, and you need to schedule a drop-off appointment. Call 717-840-7581 to get pre-approval and set a time.
Practical Alternatives
- ✓ Lean on the tablets for free digital books and audiobooks instead of trying to mail physical books.
- ✓ Use GTL tablet text messaging through a Getting Out account for non-legal/non-privileged communication.
- ✓ Use TextBehind to send electronic messages that are printed and delivered to the prison.
Tip: If you’re trying to help your loved one find specific titles, check what’s available through the facility’s tablet system - availability depends on the tablet library’s catalog.
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