Mail & Packages in Oregon (ODOC)
How to address mail to an Oregon adult in custody with their SID number, the plain white-paper and envelope rules, the publisher-only rule for books, and Oregon's move toward scanning mail to tablets.
How to address it
Use the person’s name exactly as it appears in ODOC records (no nicknames) and their SID number (the State Identification number). Then the facility name and address, with your own return address. You can confirm the correct name and SID on the Oregon Offender Search.
What the paper and envelope must be
Since early 2025, ODOC requires incoming letters to use standard white paper and a plain, commercially made white envelope (no larger than about 9 by 12 inches), written in pen, pencil, or type. Not accepted: greeting cards, postcards, cardstock, colored or padded or cardboard envelopes, and heavy marker or crayon. Because these rules are detailed and changing, confirm the current list on ODOC’s Letters page before sending anything unusual.
What you can and can’t send
From friends and family, ODOC generally accepts letters and photographs (no nude or partially nude images). Small enclosures like newspaper clippings, drawings, and photocopies are allowed; items such as paper clips, unused stamps, and blank paper are removed. Do not put money in the mail — it goes through the deposit system in Sending Money. Care packages from family are not allowed.
Books, magazines, and newspapers
Publications must be shipped directly from a publisher, distributor, or bookstore — items sent by a family member are returned. Books may be new or used, but not with metal parts, zippers, or heavy bindings. There is no single approved-vendor list; each prison’s mail room makes the final call.
Legal and official mail
Mail from an attorney or a court is legal mail. Mark the envelope “LEGAL MAIL” or “OFFICIAL MAIL” with the law office’s return address; it is opened and inspected for contraband in the person’s presence and is not read. Mail that is not clearly marked is handled as ordinary mail. As Oregon moves to scanning personal mail, legal mail will still be handled physically.
A change is underway
ODOC is rolling out personal tablets and moving to scan most incoming personal mail and deliver it to the tablet as a digital copy, to keep drugs out of the prisons. The rollout is gradual and the start dates are not final, and ODOC has not said whether paper originals will be delivered. Confirm how mail is being handled at a specific prison on ODOC’s site before you send.
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.