Mail & Packages in Illinois (IDOC)

Illinois changed how incoming prison mail is handled in 2025. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) adopted an emergency rule in August 2025 to scan incoming personal mail instead of delivering the original letters, and contracted communications vendor ICSolutions — which also provides tablets to incarcerated people — to scan and digitally deliver the mail. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), the legislature’s rulemaking panel, allowed the rule to become permanent in January 2026 after a public-comment period and some changes. Because the program is recent and was revised during rulemaking, specifics — including the exact mailing address and format — can change; confirm the current details with IDOC and the specific prison.

How incoming mail works now

For non-privileged mail (ordinary personal letters, cards, and photos), IDOC’s stated process is to scan the item in color — the front and back of the envelope and each item inside — and then distribute it to the incarcerated person electronically by uploading it to their tablet, or by printing a copy. The revised permanent rule states that a person may request a physical printout of their mail at no personal cost.

Practical points IDOC lists for senders:

• IDOC recommends writing in black ink; light inks or pencil may scan poorly and be hard to read on a tablet.
• Glue, glitter, paint, crayon, adhesives, ribbon, cloth, or string are discouraged because they can damage the scanners.
• Under the permanent rule, photographs are expected to be sent unopened directly from a vendor (such as a photo-printing service) rather than mailed loose. Confirm the current photo rules with the facility.

The exact items allowed, page or photo limits, and how copies are delivered are set by IDOC and can vary by facility — confirm them before sending.

What still goes to the facility

Legal and privileged mail

Privileged mail — including correspondence from an attorney, a court, or government officials — is treated differently and is not scanned or photocopied the way personal mail is. IDOC’s procedure is for privileged mail to be opened in the presence of the incarcerated person to whom it is addressed. IDOC has also stated that, beginning July 1, 2026, it will use a multi-factor authentication system to verify the sender of privileged mail. Confirm the current marking requirements (for example, how the envelope must identify the sender as legal mail) with the facility, because privileged-mail handling was a specific subject of the rulemaking and the details were still being clarified.

Books, magazines, and publications

Publications are delivered as physical items and are not scanned. Books, magazines, and similar materials are accepted when sent directly from a publisher, book club, bookstore, religious organization, or educational institution and are delivered if they contain no contraband. Items sent by an individual (rather than an approved source) are generally not accepted. Confirm each facility’s current publication rules and any quantity limits.

How to address mail

Mail is addressed to the incarcerated person using their name and IDOC identification number at the prison where they are held. IDOC’s published materials for the scanning program do not list a single central off-site P.O. box for personal mail; confirm the current mailing address and the exact addressing format for the specific facility directly with IDOC before sending. Use the IDOC Individual in Custody Search to verify the person’s current facility first, since people are transferred and a newly committed person may be at a reception and classification center rather than a permanent prison.

Sending money

Money for an incarcerated person’s account is sent through the deposit vendor, not enclosed in a letter — cash and checks in personal mail are not the deposit method. See Sending Money in Illinois for how deposits work.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.