How to Send Books and Magazines to an Inmate in Washington

INMATEAID EDITORIAL ARTICLE

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

=> USED books OK ONLY from approved NON-PROFIT organizations (Att. 4 §4.u; official page). New = any publisher/vendor; used = approved non-profit only. DOC maintains approved-non-profit list w/ application + appeal (appeal to assistant secretary of prisons within 10 business days; valid 1 yr).

=> Books are PUBLICATIONS, NOT property (official Send Packages page) => do NOT count against package limits (2/month, 12/year via Union Supply). Strong send-freely angle.

NOTE: Governing = WA DOC Policy 450.100 (rev. 12/31/23) + Attachment 4 Unauthorized Mail (rev. 12/23) + official Send Publications/Send Packages pages (doc.wa.gov). ID = name + DOC number; facility. "Publication" must contain publishing company/author, publication date, volume/issue or identifier, copyright notice/date, publisher address; else treated as general mail. Source: new from publisher(s)/vendor(s) (Amazon/B&N/local stores/publishers all OK); used only from approved non-profit. Books NOT property (no package-limit hit). NO statewide softcover-only rule (the "all books must be paperback" is a Snohomish County JAIL rule, not state DOC); Att. 4 §4.v rejects metal/inflexible binder (not a hardcover-book ban) - did NOT assert statewide hardcover ban; recommended paperback as safer + noted jails differ. Content bars (Att. 4): weapons/ammo/bomb construction + life-sized images; martial-arts/fighting/disarm instructions; corrections security-systems info; escape plans; detailed maps within 50 mi of a facility (except facility libraries); sexually explicit (precisely defined - nudity-for-gratification, sex acts, any minor depiction incl. cartoon/anime); threats/advocacy of violence or hatred / overthrow of authority; STG/gang content; copyrighted clippings/copies of books (single public-domain printouts OK); used pubs not from approved non-profit / altered pubs; metal/inflexible binder; solicitations/games of chance (pub not rejected but can't enter); >25 photos; duplicates. PRC process: mailroom rejects w/ DOC 05-525 Rejection Notice (reason to individual) + scans rejected pages to Publication Review Committee at HQ (security operations PM, disciplinary PM, library/archival PM); PRC meets >= monthly; appeal available. Forwarding: first-class mail forwarded 90 days on transfer. Packages (property/food/hygiene) via Union Supply Direct (separate from books). Snohomish County = JAIL (paperback-only) - relied on state DOC page + Att. 4.

How to Send Books and Magazines to an Inmate in Washington

A book is one of the best things you can put in the hands of someone you love inside a Washington 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. Washington's rules are among the more open in the country, so this is one of the easier states to get reading material to your person. Let me walk you through exactly how it works.

I am going to explain it the way someone who has done time would, plainly, so you get it right the first time and your money and effort actually reach the person you sent them for.

The Rules That Matter Most in Washington

There are a few rules to lock in before you order, and the good news is they are friendly to families.

First, a new book, magazine, or newspaper has to come directly from a publisher or a vendor. You cannot pack up a book at home and mail it in yourself. It has to ship straight from a seller to your person at the facility. The reassuring part is that Washington reads vendor broadly. The state names Amazon and Barnes and Noble as examples of approved vendors, and local bookstores and publishers are approved too. So your everyday way of buying a book works here.

Second, Washington treats new and used differently, and this is one of the state's distinctive features. New books can come from essentially any publisher or vendor. Used books are allowed too, but only when they come from a department-approved non-profit organization, not from a used-book marketplace or a private seller. So if you want to send a used copy, it has to route through an approved non-profit, while a new copy can come straight from Amazon or a bookstore.

Third, here is a detail that genuinely helps: in Washington, books are considered publications, not property, which means they do not count against the package limits that apply to other items. You are not eating into your person's monthly or yearly package allowance by sending books, so you can keep good reading coming without trade-offs.

Using Amazon to Send a Book

Amazon is the easiest route for most families, and Washington explicitly lists it as an approved vendor, so a new book shipped directly from Amazon to your person works cleanly. This is about as straightforward as it gets in this series of state rules.

A quick word on format. Washington's state policy does not impose a blanket paperback-only rule, so a hardcover from an approved vendor is generally fine at the state prison level, though the policy does reject a book with a metal or otherwise inflexible binder. If your person happens to be in a county or city jail rather than a state prison, be aware that many jails do require paperback only, so check that jail's rule. When in doubt, a new paperback is the safe choice that works just about everywhere.

Sending Used Books Through an Approved Non-Profit

This is worth its own mention because it is a real money-saver and a distinctive Washington feature. While you cannot mail a used book yourself, the state keeps a list of approved non-profit organizations that are allowed to send used books to incarcerated people. These are often prison book programs that provide reading material at low or no cost. If you or your person are working with a budget, an approved non-profit is a legitimate channel for used titles that a regular vendor could not send.

If a non-profit you know of is not yet on the approved list, the department has an application process, and there is even an appeal path if a request is denied, with appeals going to the assistant secretary of prisons. For most families, though, the simplest takeaway is this: send new books from any vendor, and lean on approved non-profits and the prison library for used and free reading.

Magazines and Newspapers

Magazines are a great fit for Washington, and they follow the same friendly rule as books: they come directly from the publisher or a vendor. A subscription is the cleanest way to handle that, since it ships straight from the publisher by definition, and it is one of the most reliable, low-effort ways to keep your person reading. Once it is set, each issue arrives on its own and gives them something to look forward to without anyone having to act again.

It is also worth knowing what makes something count as a publication in Washington, since it affects how your item is handled. To be treated as a publication, a book, magazine, newspaper, or catalog needs to show a publisher or author, a publication date, a volume or issue identifier, a copyright notice, and a publisher address. Mainstream books and magazines have all of this. Items that lack these markings, like a random printout or a homemade booklet, get treated as general mail instead and may not make it through.

What Can Get a Book or Magazine Rejected

Washington reviews incoming publications, and most mainstream books and magazines pass without trouble. What gets a publication rejected is content tied to safety. The policy specifically excludes material that explains how to make weapons, ammunition, or bombs; that teaches fighting, martial arts, or how to disarm someone; that reveals corrections security systems or practices; that contains escape plans or detailed maps within fifty miles of a facility; that is sexually explicit as the policy defines it, including nudity intended for gratification and any sexual depiction of a minor; that threatens or advocates violence or hatred; or that contains gang or security threat group material. Stick to mainstream titles and you will not run into these limits.

A few Washington-specific rejection points are worth flagging so you do not waste money. The state rejects clippings or photocopies of copyrighted books, so send the actual published book rather than copies. It rejects used publications that did not come from an approved non-profit, which is the new-versus-used rule again. And it rejects a book with a metal or inflexible binder. If a magazine contains a sweepstakes or contest entry, the magazine itself is not rejected, but your person simply will not be allowed to enter.

If a publication is rejected, Washington has a clear process. The mailroom gives your person a written rejection notice stating the reason, and it forwards scans of the rejected pages to a Publication Review Committee at headquarters, made up of a security operations manager, a disciplinary program manager, and a library program manager. That committee meets at least monthly to review rejections, and there is an appeal path, so a decision is reviewed rather than final at the mailroom counter.

Lean on the Library

Here is something families overlook. Washington prisons have libraries, and using them is free. Encourage your person to use the library heavily and to request the titles they want, since that often puts a book in their hands faster and at no cost than a shipped order. For a family watching every dollar, the library does the heavy lifting, and your money can go toward a magazine subscription and the occasional new book your person most wants to own. Between the library, an approved non-profit for used books, and a directly shipped magazine subscription, your person can read widely without large costs. Many people inside read far more than they ever did on the outside, simply because there is time, so a steady library habit paired with a subscription can carry someone for years. We keep current pointers to programs and resources that serve Washington on our Washington reentry resources page, which is a good place to check as procedures change.

Staying Connected

Reading is one thread of staying close, but it works best alongside steady contact. Washington supports letters, electronic messaging, phone calls, and visits, and keeping up regular contact makes the books and magazines you send land in a fuller relationship rather than arriving cold. If your person transfers to another facility, the state forwards first-class mail for ninety days, which helps a subscription keep up with a move, though it is still smart to update the address with the publisher. Think of publisher-direct books, a magazine subscription, approved non-profits, and the free library for reading, and letters, messaging, calls, and visits for staying connected.

Get It Right the First Time

Here is the whole thing in a breath. In Washington, a new book or magazine has to come directly from a publisher or vendor, and the state names Amazon and Barnes and Noble as examples, so your everyday booksellers are fine. Used books are allowed only through a department-approved non-profit. Books count as publications rather than property, so they do not eat into package limits. Address everything with your person's full name and DOC number. The state does not require paperback, though many jails do, so a new paperback is the safest universal choice. Magazines work beautifully as a publisher-direct subscription, just not duplicate copies. Steer clear of the safety-related content limits, and lean on the free library and approved non-profits to stretch your dollars.

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 Washington inmate myself?** No. New books, magazines, and newspapers must come directly from a publisher or a vendor. You cannot pack and mail a book yourself. Order it and have the seller ship it directly to your person at the facility with their full name and DOC number.

**Can I order from Amazon?** Yes. Washington explicitly names Amazon and Barnes and Noble as examples of approved vendors, and local stores and publishers are approved too. Order a new copy and have it shipped directly to your person at the facility.

**Can I send a used book?** Only through a department-approved non-profit organization. New books can come from any publisher or vendor, but used books are allowed only when sent by an approved non-profit, not from a used-book marketplace or a private seller.

**Do books count against the package limits?** No. In Washington, books are considered publications, not property, so they do not count against the monthly or yearly package limits that apply to other items. You can keep sending books without using up that allowance.

**Can I send a hardcover book?** At the state prison level, Washington does not require paperback, so a hardcover from an approved vendor is generally fine, though a book with a metal or inflexible binder is rejected. Many county and city jails require paperback only, so if your person is in a jail, check that rule. A new paperback is the safest choice.

**How do magazines work in Washington?** A magazine subscription ordered directly from the publisher is allowed and is the cleanest option. Address it with your person's full name and DOC number. Note that duplicate copies of the same publication are rejected, so a single subscription per title is the way to go.

**What happens if a publication is rejected?** The mailroom gives your person a written rejection notice with the reason and forwards the rejected pages to a Publication Review Committee at headquarters, which meets at least monthly. There is an appeal process, so the decision gets a fuller review rather than being final at the mailroom.