How to mail a PDF to someone in a Rhode Island prison

Quick facts

System

Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC)

Inmate ID

RIDOC identification number

General mail goes to

Facility-specific PO Box (ACI campus, Cranston)

Recipient receives

Actual mail after T-ray scan and inspection (not a statewide digital-mail center)

Page limit

5 pages per standard letter envelope; up to 25 pages in one 10″×13″ manila envelope

Envelope

White envelope for standard mail; manila allowed for larger packets (attorneys may use manila)

Carrier

U.S. Postal Service only (no UPS, FedEx, or other couriers)

Typical timing

Distributed within about 24 hours of USPS receipt when possible (excluding weekends/holidays)

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Use RIDOC Incarceration Search for the person’s current facility and identification number. Mail each facility at its own PO Box in Cranston, RI 02920 — include the person’s full name and RIDOC ID on the envelope plus your complete return address. Facility PO boxes (verified on doc.ri.gov facility pages): Anthony P. Travisono Intake Service Center — PO Box 8249; High Security Center — PO Box 8200; Maximum Security — PO Box 8273; John J. Moran Medium Security — PO Box 8274; Minimum Security — PO Box 8212; Gloria McDonald Women’s Facility — PO Box 8312.

[Full Name] [RIDOC ID Number]
[Facility name — e.g. John J. Moran Medium Security]
P.O. Box [facility PO Box]
Cranston, RI 02920

Special cases

• Privileged / legal mail → Same facility PO Box — privileged handling

  Privileged mail (attorneys, courts, listed officials and agencies per 240-RICR-10-00-1) is T-ray scanned unopened, then opened for contraband inspection in the person’s presence — staff cannot read it. The sender’s name and official status must appear clearly on the envelope. Attorneys may use manila envelopes.

• Books, magazines, and publications → Facility PO Box (subject to publication review)

  Publications may be allowed but are reviewed under RIDOC policy. Commercially produced photographs and hard-cover books cannot be purchased by inmates; material can be disallowed for security or content reasons.

• Funds → Approved deposit channels — not cash in the envelope

  Cash, checks, postal notes, money orders, or drafts found in mail are seized and deposited to the inmate account per RIDOC policy — do not enclose funds with a PDF mailing.

Format & content rules

• Mail must arrive through the U.S. Postal Service only. Packages from UPS, FedEx, or similar carriers are not accepted.
• Scanner format limits (240-RICR-10-00-1): no more than five (5) pages in each standard 4⅛″ × 9½″ letter envelope, or no more than twenty-five (25) pages in each single 10″ × 13″ manila envelope. You may send multiple envelopes.
• RIDOC’s public FAQ requires white envelopes for incoming mail, with an exception for manila envelopes from attorneys. The regulation also contemplates 10″×13″ manila envelopes for larger personal packets — use white for short letters; use manila when you need more than five pages.
• Incoming non-privileged mail may be opened, inspected for contraband, and read by authorized staff when necessary for security. Privileged mail is scanned without opening first, then opened for contraband in the person’s presence — not read.
• Do not send postage stamps, C.O.D. mail, or postage-due mail. Stamps must be purchased through the inmate commissary.
• Personal photographs featuring nudity may be disallowed. Sexually explicit material and other content listed in 240-RICR-10-00-1 can be rejected or redacted after review.
• Content can still be withheld under RIDOC mail policy if it threatens security, order, rehabilitation, or public safety.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in RIDOC custody and look up their identification number and current facility.
2. Choose envelope size: up to 5 pages in a standard white letter envelope, or up to 25 pages in a 10″×13″ manila envelope.
3. Address to the correct facility PO Box in Cranston with full name + RIDOC ID and your return address.
4. Mail via USPS as personal correspondence — do not use couriers or enclose cash, checks, or stamps.

Look up a RIDOC identification number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Rhode Island, we enforce the five-page default per standard envelope and collect the facility name for the correct PO Box.
• We do not review PDFs — RIDOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• 240-RICR-10-00-1 — Inmate Mail
• RIDOC Policy 24.01-8 DOC — Inmate Mail (PDF)
• RIDOC — Inmate Mail FAQ
• RIDOC — Facilities (mail addresses)
• RIDOC Incarceration Search