Sending mail and photographs: formats, scanning, and common prohibitions

Before you mail anything, confirm whether the jail uses a mail scanning process for non-legal mail. One Indiana facility states that inmates no longer receive non-legal mail physically at the jail. Instead, mail goes to a PO Box for scanning, electronic delivery via kiosks or tablets, and destruction of the original item. That same facility warns that you should clearly print the inmate's name and ID number on the outside of the envelope or postcard. Missing information can cause mail to be lost or misdirected.

• ✓ Don’t include stickers, unknown substances or discoloration, or adhesives, powders, or glitter
• ✓ Don’t send currency, mechanized or battery-operated devices, or printed clippings
• ✓ Don’t send book pages or printouts of pictures or text if the jail prohibits them
• ✓ Send photographs unedited, “straight out of camera” (some jails reject edited images)
• ✓ Put your loved one’s name and ID number where the jail requires it, often on the outside of the envelope or postcard

Books, magazines, and packages are another place where people get tripped up. Some facilities only allow magazines and books if they come directly from the publisher, and they do not allow packages from home unless there's prior written approval (with limited exceptions). Rules about what content is allowed can also apply to commercially published materials, and facilities may return items that are non-distributable under statute. Mail is typically inspected: general correspondence can be opened and inspected by staff, while special incoming mail that is properly marked may be opened only in the inmate's presence and still inspected for contraband and qualification.