Send Books and Magazines — Ask the Inmate
Books and magazines are among the most valuable items an incarcerated person can receive. They provide an escape from the monotony of institutional life, keep the mind active, and for many inmates represent the primary source of education and information about the outside world. But facility rules about how books and magazines can be sent are strict, and getting it wrong means the item gets rejected. This section covers the rules for sending books and magazines to incarcerated loved ones, why items must typically come directly from approved publishers or retailers rather than from home, what types of publications are restricted and why, how InmateAid's magazine subscription service works and why it is one of the most reliable ways to keep a loved one supplied with reading material, and what genres and titles tend to be most popular inside. The guidance here makes sure every book and magazine you send actually arrives. See also our sections on Inmate Care Packages, Send Inmate Mail, and Prison Jobs.
Related InmateAid Services
Not really. The only thing that inmates might envy are magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Inmates that receive a lot of reading material like that are popular among the inmates as they usually get passed around. Reading material is a sort of currency that give the receiving inmate a lot of clout
Read moreBook deliveries get refused at the mail room for several reasons, and knowing which one applies helps you avoid the same problem on the next order. Third-party seller. This is the most common reason. If you ordered through Amazon but the item shipped from a third-party seller rather than directly from Amazon, the facility rejected it because it did not come from a recognized publisher or approved retailer. The shipment has to originate from Amazon itself or another approved
Read moreYes, Barnes and Noble works just as well as Amazon for sending books to an inmate. The key requirement at most facilities is not which retailer you use, but that the books arrive directly from the retailer rather than from a personal address. Facilities require this so they can verify the package is coming from a legitimate commercial source and has not been tampered with. When ordering, use the facility's address as the shipping destination and include your son's
Read more[Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?node=283155&tag=inmatecom-20&camp=15329&creative=394453&linkCode=ur1&adid=1NK4T3Z8XDKYJ0S12D53&&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmateaid.com%2Fpages%2Fdetails%2Fsend-books-to-an-inmate-in-prison-or-jail) is one of the only companies that may deliver books to inmates. You have to enter the inmate's name, ID number and the correct address of the facility. You have to buy "new paperback books", the used books are sold by third party affiliates and those books will get rejected. There are no other tricks to it, other than staying away from the other book sellers on the Amazon site that sell used books.
Read moreNo, you have to buy books from the publisher. There are also books available in the institution's library. [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?node=283155&tag=inmatecom-20&camp=15329&creative=394453&linkCode=ur1&adid=1NK4T3Z8XDKYJ0S12D53&&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmateaid.com%2Fpages%2Fdetails%2Fsend-books-to-an-inmate-in-prison-or-jail) is one of the most reliable companies that may deliver books to inmates. You have to enter the inmate's name, ID number and the correct address of the facility. You have to buy "new paperback books", the used books are sold by third party affiliates and those books will get rejected. There are no other tricks to it, other
Read moreMagazine deliveries to correctional facilities move on a different timeline than standard mail and in progress does not mean something has gone wrong. Here is what actually happens behind the scenes. When a magazine subscription is ordered through InmateAid, the order goes to the publisher who then mails directly to the facility. Publishers operate on their own printing and distribution schedules, which do not always align with what you would expect from a standard online order. A new subscription
Read moreYou cannot send books from home. They are very security-conscious and require any books to come directly from the publisher. [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?node=283155&tag=inmatecom-20&camp=15329&creative=394453&linkCode=ur1&adid=1NK4T3Z8XDKYJ0S12D53&&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmateaid.com%2Fpages%2Fdetails%2Fsend-books-to-an-inmate-in-prison-or-jail) is a trusted publishing brand and therefore our partner in helping folks send books into the prison or jail. To send a book, you have to enter the inmate's name, ID number and the correct address of the facility. You have to buy "new paperback books", the used books are sold by third party affiliates and those
Read moreThe rules for most of the state systems are that books may be sent in by the publisher only. Things might be slightly different as the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center is a stopping point before the inmate's designation. We would recommend calling 573-592-4040 to make certain they can receive books. [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?node=283155&tag=inmatecom-20&camp=15329&creative=394453&linkCode=ur1&adid=0MR9VSY8CPXZCYB2CC5T&&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmateaid.com%2Fshop%2Fbooks) is an approved publisher as it must be in the form of a paperback book and it must be new from Amazon and not one of their resellers.
Read more[Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?node=283155&tag=inmatecom-20&camp=15329&creative=394453&linkCode=ur1&adid=1NK4T3Z8XDKYJ0S12D53&&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmateaid.com%2Fpages%2Fdetails%2Fsend-books-to-an-inmate-in-prison-or-jail) is one of the only companies that may deliver books to inmates. You have to enter the inmate's name, ID number and the correct address of the facility. You have to buy "new paperback books", the used books are sold by third party affiliates and those books will get rejected. There are no other tricks to it, other than staying away from the other book sellers on the [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?node=283155&tag=inmatecom-20&camp=15329&creative=394453&linkCode=ur1&adid=1NK4T3Z8XDKYJ0S12D53&&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmateaid.com%2Fpages%2Fdetails%2Fsend-books-to-an-inmate-in-prison-or-jail) site that sell used books.
Read moreIf you purchased the magazine subscriptions through InmateAid, this is straightforward. Just email InmateAid the new facility name and address and the team will contact the publisher directly to update the delivery address. Your inmate will not miss an issue in the process. If the subscriptions were purchased elsewhere, you will need to contact each publisher directly and provide the updated facility address along with your inmate's full name and ID number. Publishers typically allow address changes by phone
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