Mail & Packages in Indiana (IDOC) | Prison Visitor Guide

Key info

Incoming personal mail goes to the prison, but the person receives a photocopy. Each prison’s own mailroom opens and photocopies general correspondence in black and white, then delivers the copy — the incarcerated person receives a copy, not the original. Indiana does not use an off-site mail vendor.

Address mail to the person at the facility where they are held — full name, IDOC number, and the prison’s mailing address. Confirm the current location on the offender locator first.

Legal mail is handled separately — it goes to the facility and is opened and inspected in the incarcerated person’s presence, not photocopied as general mail.

Books and publications must be new and shipped directly from a publisher, bookstore, or retailer (for example, an order must ship directly from Amazon, not a third-party marketplace seller).

Digital messages and photos can be sent through GettingOut (a ViaPath service) instead of paper mail.

How incoming mail works

Indiana handles incoming mail differently from states that use an off-site scanning vendor. Each prison’s own mailroom opens and inspects incoming general correspondence — letters, cards, and photos — and photocopies it in black and white. The incarcerated person receives the photocopy, generally within about 48 hours, and the original is not delivered. There is no off-site processing center; mail goes to the prison where the person is held.

Address personal mail with the person’s full committed name and IDOC number to the mailing address of the facility where they are held:

[Incarcerated person’s full name and IDOC number] [Facility name] [Facility mailing address]

Because the prison shown in the offender locator can change after a transfer, confirm the person’s current facility before sending.

Legal mail

Legal and privileged mail is handled separately from general correspondence. It goes directly to the facility and is opened and inspected in the incarcerated person’s presence rather than photocopied. Attorneys and courts should follow IDOC’s legal-mail labeling requirements. Confirm the current legal-mail procedure with the specific prison before sending.

Books and publications

Books and publications must be new and undamaged and must be shipped directly from a publisher, bookstore, or approved retailer — third-party fulfillment is not accepted, so an online order must ship directly from the retailer (for example, directly from Amazon, not a marketplace seller). Used or personally mailed books are generally not accepted, and incoming books are inspected for alterations. Confirm the current rules and any quantity limits with the facility.

Digital messages and photos

Instead of paper mail, families can send digital messages and photos through GettingOut (a ViaPath service) — create an account, add the incarcerated person as a contact, and fund the account to send messages. Details are in Phone & Video Calls.

Verify Before Acting

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.