Quick facts

System

Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)

Inmate ID

IDOC number

General mail goes to

The individual’s facility mailing address

Recipient receives

Color scan on tablet or color photocopy (originals are not returned)

Page limit

None stated — IDOC FAQ says no cap on pages per envelope

Paper size

Each sheet no larger than 8½″ × 14″

Photos

Up to 8″ × 10″ when mailed as correspondence; vendor-printed photos may arrive as originals

Ordinary letter timing

Generally held no more than 48 hours (excluding weekends/holidays)

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Look up the IDOC number and facility on Inmate Search, then use that facility’s mailing address. Put the IDOC number near the person’s name on the envelope and on each page, photo, or enclosure.

[Full Name]
[IDOC Number]
[Facility Name]
[Facility Street / PO Box]
[City, IL ZIP]

Special cases

• Books, magazines, and other publications → Publisher / authorized distributor only

  Since September 30, 2025, publications must be mailed directly from a publisher (bookstore, book club, magazine distributor, religious organization, educational institution, or government unit). Do not enclose books or magazines in a personal letter — they are not scanned with correspondence.

• Privileged / legal mail → Facility (not scanned or photocopied)

  Privileged mail from attorneys, courts, and other listed senders is opened in the recipient’s presence for contraband inspection but is not digitized. Beginning July 1, 2026, IDOC will require multi-factor authentication to verify privileged-mail senders.

• Official government documents → Facility

  Birth certificates, Social Security cards, and similar official documents mailed from a government entity are not processed through the scan/photocopy workflow.

• Photos from a photo-printing vendor → Facility

  Photos printed and mailed directly by a photo service (with vendor watermark/logo) may be delivered in original form rather than scanned, unless otherwise unauthorized.

Format & content rules

• Non-privileged correspondence — including printed PDF pages — is opened, inspected, and color-scanned or photocopied. Images go to the person’s tablet Bulletin Board or are printed if they lack tablet access. Originals are not returned; mail a copy and keep your own.
• IDOC states there is no page limit on scanned mail, but each sheet must be no larger than 8½″ × 14″. Thermal or photosensitive paper is unauthorized.
• Do not staple, paper-clip, or glue pages together. Self-adhesive items, labels, stickers, Post-Its, and return-address labels are prohibited.
• IDOC strongly recommends black ink; light ink or pencil may scan poorly on tablets. Avoid glue, glitter, paint, crayon, ribbon, cloth, string, perfume/cologne, lipstick, or other substances that can damage scanners or trigger rejection.
• Include the person’s name and IDOC number on the envelope and on each page. Use a complete handwritten return address — address labels and stickers are not allowed.
• Photographs mailed as correspondence may be up to 8″ × 10″ and are subject to content restrictions (no nudity, gang-related imagery, etc.). Polaroid-style restrictions and possession limits are not spelled out on IDOC’s public unauthorized-mail list — see openQuestions.
• Greeting cards, drawings, and written correspondence are accepted for scanning. Cash, personal checks, money orders, stamps, unused stationery, and most non-paper enclosures are unauthorized.
• Content can still be withheld under IDOC mail rules and 20 Ill. Adm. Code Part 525 if it threatens security or violates policy.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in IDOC custody and look up their IDOC number and facility on Inmate Search.
2. Look up the facility mailing address on IDOC’s Facilities page.
3. Print letter-size pages (≤ 8½″ × 11″ is safest; max 8½″ × 14″). Do not staple or clip sheets.
4. Put name + IDOC number on the envelope and every page; add your full return address by hand, then mail to the facility.

Look up an IDOC number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Illinois, you provide the facility mailing address; we format pages as personal correspondence without staples or labels.
• We do not review PDFs — IDOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• IDOC — Incoming Mail Policies and Procedures
• IDOC — Mail + Publications One-Pager (PDF, Nov 2025)
• IDOC — Contact an Individual in Custody
• Administrative Directive 05.02.151 — Mail Procedures (PDF)
• 20 Ill. Adm. Code § 525.140 — Incoming Mail
• IDOC Inmate Search