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.
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Subject: Send books and magazines
[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.
Subject: Send books and magazines
If 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 or through...
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You can send your inmate books through [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). They are one of the only companies that may deliver books to inmates. You cannot buy hardback or used books of any kind. Books that are sold by third party affiliates will get rejected. After you sleect the paperbacks you want to send, enter the inmate's name, ID number and the correct address of the facility.
Subject: Send books and magazines
Amazon is the best way to send a bible. Make sure thagt you are buying it directly from Amazon and not a reseller of their books, which are usually lower priced and used. They will not make it to your inmate. Whatever your selection is, it should be paperback only. [Click InmateAid Services - Send Books](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop)
Subject: Send books and magazines
Amazon works and is the standard solution for this exact requirement. You do not need to contact publishers directly or navigate any complicated ordering process.
Here is why Amazon satisfies the publisher direct requirement. When correctional facilities require books to come directly from the publisher they are trying to ensure that the book has not passed through outside hands where it could be tampered with or used to conceal contraband. Amazon ships from their own warehouses and fulfillment centers, which facilities...
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Yes, you can send magazines to an inmate, and it is one of the most appreciated things you can do for someone serving time. Reading material makes a real difference in how slowly or quickly the days pass by.
The main restriction across virtually every correctional facility in the country is nudity. Magazines containing explicit or nude content are prohibited and will be rejected at the mailroom before they ever reach your loved one. That means publications like Playboy are off...
Read moreSubject: Send books and magazines
Sending books to someone in prison is one of the most meaningful things you can do, but there is an important rule that trips up a lot of people. Most correctional facilities, including county prisons, require that all books and magazines come directly from the publisher or an approved vendor. You cannot simply grab a book off your shelf, wrap it up, and mail it. It will get rejected at the mailroom.
The reason behind the rule is contraband prevention. Books...
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Most correctional facilities only accept packages shipped via the United States Postal Service. FedEx and UPS deliveries are routinely rejected at prison mail rooms, and Amazon does not give customers the option to choose their shipping carrier directly.
There is a practical workaround that solves this problem. If a facility has a PO Box address, use that as the shipping address instead of the street address. FedEx and UPS do not deliver to PO Boxes, which means Amazon's fulfillment system will...
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Books shipped from Amazon must go to the facility's physical address, not the PO box used for regular mail. Include the inmate full name and ID number in the address field. Always confirm with the facility first that they accept direct vendor shipments before ordering.
Subject: Send books and magazines
Use the Amazon link on our site. Select the books that you'd like to send - when checking out, make sure that the address of the inmate's facility is correct along with their ID number. All customer service questions about delivery must be direct through our partner Amazon.com
Subject: Send books and magazines
Most correctional facilities maintain a clear policy on what reading material is permitted inside. The three categories that are almost universally prohibited are magazines featuring nudity, firearms or weapons content, and anything associated with gang culture or activity. The reasoning is consistent across facilities; these materials are considered either a security risk or a threat to the order and rehabilitation environment the facility is trying to maintain.
Beyond those restrictions, the range of approved publications is fairly broad. Sports, news, entertainment,...
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No. eBay is not an approved vendor for sending books to inmates and orders placed through it will almost certainly be rejected at the mail room.
The rule at virtually every correctional facility is that books must be sent directly from a publisher or an approved retailer. The reasoning is security: a book coming from a verified commercial source has a traceable chain of custody that a used book from an individual eBay seller does not. Facilities cannot verify where a...
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The most meaningful gift you can send an incarcerated person is something that helps them escape mentally and pass the time with purpose. Inside, that almost always means books.
If your husband enjoys reading, a book is genuinely the most valuable thing you can send into a federal prison. A few titles and authors that tend to resonate with readers inside:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is the first in a gripping trilogy that pulls you in completely....
Read moreSubject: Send books and magazines
When you are ready to purchase a book on Amazon to send to your inmate, the key step is changing the shipping address before you check out. Instead of shipping to your own address, enter the facility's mailing address as the delivery address.
Here is how to do it:
Add the book to your cart as you normally would. At checkout, select the option to ship to a different address and enter the facility's full mailing address. In the name field, put...
Read moreSubject: Send books and magazines
Magazines are one of the best things you can send an inmate, and there is a wide range of titles that are permitted at most facilities.
The rule that applies almost universally is no nudity. Full nudity disqualifies a magazine from entering most correctional facilities regardless of how mainstream the publication is. Playboy, for example, is rejected at most facilities for this reason despite being a well-known title.
For magazines with a sexier edge that stay within what facilities allow, titles like...
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