How to Send a Book Through Amazon to an Inmate in Virginia?

Sending books to an inmate through Amazon is one of the more straightforward ways to get reading material into a facility, but it only works if you follow the facility's specific rules to the letter. Here is how to do it.

Go to Amazon and find the book you want to send. At checkout, instead of shipping to your own address, enter the facility's address as the delivery address. The inmate's full legal name and ID number should appear in the address line or the name field so the mailroom can match the package to the right person. The order must ship directly from Amazon, not from a third-party seller, because most facilities require books to come from a recognized retailer with a packing slip. A package that arrives from an individual address will almost certainly be rejected.

Before you order, call Scott County Jail directly and ask about their book policy. Facilities vary significantly on what they allow. Some accept only paperbacks. Some prohibit hardcovers entirely because the binding can be used to conceal contraband. Some have a limit on the number of books an inmate can have in their cell at one time. A few facilities do not accept books from outside at all and require inmates to use an internal library system.

Getting the policy confirmed before you place the order saves you from having the book rejected at intake and returned or destroyed. Once you know the rules, Amazon's direct shipping makes the process simple and trackable, and your fiancée gets something meaningful to pass the time.