How to Send Books and Magazines to an Inmate in Maine

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Internal links: Maine inmate search, send money, visitation, Staying Connected hub, Maine reentry resources

NOTE: Governing policy = Maine DOC Policy 21.2 "Prisoner Mail." Distinctive = MDOC explicitly permits full-page, unaltered photocopies/clippings of articles & book excerpts with source name visible. Metal/staples concern from facility guidance. 2-magazine-sub limit seen at Cumberland County (county) - NOT attributed to state.

How to Send Books and Magazines to an Inmate in Maine

A good book is one of the most valuable things you can put in the hands of someone you love inside a Maine prison. It fills the long, empty hours, it keeps the mind working, and it is a piece of the outside world they get to hold. Maine is more reasonable than most states about reading material, and it even lets you do something most states forbid. Let me walk you through it.

I am going to explain it the way someone who has done time would, plainly and without the runaround.

The One Rule That Trips Up Every Family

Start here. In Maine you cannot buy a book yourself and put it in the mail. Books must come directly from a publisher or a commercial distributor, shipped straight to the facility. Maine's prisoner mail policy is explicit that if a package is refused because the book did not come from a publisher or commercial distributor, your person is notified in writing. A package that looks like it came from a person's home gets refused.

The reason is contraband. A mailroom cannot tell a clean book from one that has been tampered with, so the system only trusts shipments straight from a recognized seller. The good news is that Maine makes this workable, and it gives you an extra option you will not find in most states.

Where to Order: Amazon Works in Maine

Because a book has to ship from a publisher or commercial distributor, the simplest path for most families is a major online bookseller that ships the book itself. Amazon counts as a commercial distributor and works for Maine. Choose a copy that is sold and shipped by Amazon, not by a third-party marketplace seller, since a marketplace order ships like a private package and gets rejected. On the listing, look for "Ships from Amazon" and "Sold by Amazon."

Address it to your person with their full name and Maine Department of Corrections number, then the facility, which you can confirm on Maine's prisoner search. Packages come in through the U.S. Postal Service, so order standard shipping rather than a private courier. Send the book by itself, with nothing tucked inside, and send your letters separately.

A Maine Bonus: You Can Send Clippings and Photocopies

Here is the option that sets Maine apart, and it can save you money. Most states forbid loose clippings and photocopies entirely. Maine allows them under clear conditions. Your person may receive originals or photocopies of articles from newspapers, newsletters, or magazines, or excerpts from books, as long as the clipping or copy consists of full-length pages with no partial pages, has not been altered, and shows the name of the newspaper, magazine, or book as originally published.

In plain terms, you can photocopy a full magazine article, a recipe, a study guide chapter, or a few full pages of a book and mail them in a letter, as long as you do not cut the pages down or mark them up and the source name is visible. For a family on a budget, that is a real gift, you can share specific reading without buying and shipping a whole book through a distributor. Just keep the pages whole and unaltered.

New, Paperback, and Watch the Metal

For full books, stick to new paperbacks. Hardcover books are generally not allowed, and Maine is careful about metal, so be aware that staples and spiral bindings can be a problem, and some facilities even flag stapled magazines. Paperback with no metal is the safe default. Send the book on its own, with no notes, photos, or extras tucked inside, since those can get the package refused.

Magazines and Newspapers

Magazines and newspapers follow the same rule as books: they must come directly from the publisher, which for periodicals means a subscription in your person's name shipped to the facility. When issues arrive, staff dispose of non-allowable inserts like product samples before handing the magazine over, which is routine. Stick to mainstream titles, since sexually explicit content will be rejected.

A subscription is one of the kindest things you can set up, arriving on its own schedule and giving your person something to look forward to.

What Maine Rejects

Before you spend money, know what gets turned away. Maine can withhold or refuse publications and mail that pose a contraband risk, that would facilitate criminal activity, or that threaten the safety, security, or orderly management of the facility, along with sexually explicit material. When mail or a package is withheld or refused, your person is notified in writing, and there is a review process. If your person wants a specific title, a quick check against these content rules saves money.

Tablets and Mail Handling

Maine runs a small system, and it provides electronic messaging and tablets, so your person may have access to e-messaging and some e-books or media. Packages still come in through the U.S. Postal Service and are searched for contraband. As elsewhere, tablet catalogs are limited and can carry charges, so treat the tablet as a supplement and keep sending the specific paperbacks, and clippings, your person actually wants.

Free Books and the Library

If money is tight, you still have options, and Maine's clipping rule is one of them. Beyond that, every facility has a library your person can request from. There are also nonprofit book programs that mail free books to incarcerated people, shipping from a recognized organization rather than from an individual, usually after your person writes to them with a request. These run on donations, so allow time. We keep current pointers to programs that serve Maine on our Maine reentry resources page.

Get It Right the First Time

Here is the whole thing in a breath. Books must ship from a publisher or commercial distributor, never from you, and Amazon works as long as the copy is sold and shipped by Amazon. Order new paperback, avoid hardcover and metal like staples and spiral bindings, and send via USPS with nothing tucked inside. Take advantage of Maine's clipping rule, full-length, unaltered article and book-excerpt photocopies with the source name visible are allowed, which is a free way to share reading. Use InmateAid for magazine subscriptions, and lean on the library and book programs to round it out.

Get it right and you become the person who reliably gets good books to someone who needs them. On the inside, that means more than you can know from out here.

FAQ

**Can I mail a book to a Maine inmate myself?** No. Books must come directly from a publisher or a commercial distributor, shipped to the facility. If a book arrives from an individual, the package is refused and your person is notified in writing.

**Does Amazon work for sending books to a Maine prison?** Yes. Amazon counts as a commercial distributor in Maine. Choose a copy sold and shipped by Amazon, not a third-party marketplace seller, in new paperback, and order standard USPS shipping.

**Can I really send photocopies or clippings?** Yes, which is unusual. Maine allows originals or photocopies of articles from newspapers, newsletters, or magazines, or excerpts from books, as long as they are full-length pages, unaltered, with the source name visible. Do not cut pages down or mark them up.

**Does it have to be paperback?** Yes, new paperback is the safe choice. Hardcovers are generally not allowed, and metal is a concern, so avoid spiral bindings and be aware staples can be flagged.

**How do I send a magazine?** Set up a subscription in your person's name shipped directly from the publisher, which InmateAid can do for you. Staff remove inserts like product samples, and sexually explicit titles are rejected, so stick to mainstream magazines.

**What gets a book rejected in Maine?** Contraband risk, content that would facilitate criminal activity, anything threatening facility safety or security, and sexually explicit material. Your person is notified in writing when mail is withheld, and there is a review process.

**How are packages delivered in Maine?** Through the U.S. Postal Service, not private couriers, and every incoming package is searched for contraband. Address it with your person's full name and Maine DOC number to the correct facility.

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