# Sending Christmas Photos to Someone in Prison > How to send Christmas photos to someone in prison or jail: holiday photo ideas, card rules that trip people up, when to mail, and what they'll receive. Published October 10, 2026 in Staying Connected Yes, you can send Christmas photos to someone in prison or jail, and holiday photos are some of the most welcome mail of the year. Send them as standard 4x6 photo prints that follow the facility's photo rules, keep any card simple (no glitter, music or layers), and mail early so they arrive in time. Here's what to send, what to skip, and how to get it through the mailroom. ## Christmas photo ideas they'll love The best holiday photos aren't the posed ones. They're the ones that let your loved one feel like they were in the room. A few ideas: - **The tree**, from the first box of ornaments to the finished, lit-up tree - **Kids decorating**, hanging ornaments, or asleep after a long day of it - **The kitchen**: cookies cooling, the family recipe in progress, the table set for dinner - **Everyone at dinner**, with an empty chair or a plate set out for them if your family does that - **The neighborhood lights**, or the house they grew up in, decorated - **Pets** in holiday sweaters or tangled in the tinsel - **Church, a holiday service or a family tradition** they'd usually be part of - **Snow, or the lack of it**, in your yard or on your street - **A wrapped gift with their name on it**, waiting for the day they come home - **A family photo** with everyone holding up a sign or pointing to the camera, made just for them Send a mix: one or two "big" photos plus small everyday moments. Our [25 photo ideas](https://inmatepics.com/blog/photo-ideas-for-someone-in-prison) post has more. ## Photos to skip Holiday photos get rejected for the same reasons as any others. Mailrooms nearly everywhere ban photos showing: - **Nudity or sexual content** - **Gang signs or hand signs**, even playful ones - **Weapons** (to be safe, skip toy guns and toy swords too) - **Drugs** - **Money**: watch for kids holding up cash from a card, or a gift-card spread Some facilities have extra rules. The Broward County Sheriff's Office, for example, doesn't allow images of the person receiving the mail or of other people in custody on incoming postcards. If a photo includes your loved one from a past Christmas, check the facility's rules first. Our post on [what photos are allowed](https://inmatepics.com/blog/what-photos-are-allowed-in-prison) goes through the common rules. Polaroids and other instant photos are banned at most facilities, and many reject photos printed on plain paper. Our post on [why Polaroids are banned](https://inmatepics.com/blog/why-polaroids-are-banned-in-prison) explains why. ## Christmas cards: keep them simple Store-bought holiday cards are an easy way to get mail bounced, because many are built exactly the way mailrooms don't allow. Official examples: - **Tennessee state prisons:** the [mail policy](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/correction/documents/policies/507-02.pdf) prohibits homemade items, layered greeting cards, cards with additional decorations and music cards. - **Florida state prisons:** the [routine mail rule](https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=33-210.101) bars greeting cards with electronic or other non-paper parts, cards built in a way that could conceal contraband, cards larger than 8x10 unfolded, and unused or blank greeting cards. - **Santa Barbara County jails:** the sheriff's rules bar blank greeting cards and musical, plastic, metal, wood or multi-layer glued cards. The safest card is a plain, single-layer paper card with your message written inside. No glitter, foil, ribbon, stickers, pop-ups, batteries or sound chips. Some places, like Broward County's jails, accept only postcards, so check before you buy anything. At many facilities, the card won't be handed over anyway. Most federal prisons photocopy greeting cards along with photos, and Texas state prisons scan cards to the person's tablet. ## When to mail Mail early. Holiday mail goes through the same mailroom checks as every other day, and the official processing deadlines we've seen don't count weekends or holidays. Tennessee's policy, for example, gives mailrooms 24 hours to deliver correspondence, excluding weekends and holidays, and Florida's rule allows up to 72 hours for processing, excluding weekends and holidays. A few more timing tips: - **Confirm their location before you send.** People in jail can be moved at any time, including during the holidays. - **Expect photo limits to spread things out.** If the facility limits how many photos it accepts per envelope or per day, a large order may need several envelopes. With InmatePics, we space them out automatically. - **Don't wait for the perfect Christmas morning photo.** Send early December photos first, then a second small batch after the day itself. A late photo is still a welcome one. ## What your loved one will receive Depending on the facility, they'll get the prints themselves, a copy, or a scan on their tablet: - **Most federal prisons:** a color copy of each photo. See our [federal prison guide](https://inmatepics.com/guides/sending-photos-to-federal-prison). - **Texas state prisons:** scans on their tablet, or black-and-white printouts without one, according to the TDCJ digital mail page. - **Many county jails:** the prints, though more jails now scan mail too. Before you pay, InmatePics shows you which one applies to their facility. ## What about Christmas gifts? Many facilities don't accept gifts from home. The federal Bureau of Prisons, for example, [says](https://www.bop.gov/inmates/communications.jsp) people can't receive packages from home without prior approval, though they can receive books and magazines directly from the publisher. Many systems let you add money to their account through official channels. Photos and a good letter are what you can always send. ## How to send Christmas photos with InmatePics 1. **Pick your photos** and upload them from your phone or computer. 2. **Crop each one to 4x6** and check what will be printed. 3. **Choose their facility** from our [facility directory](https://inmatepics.com/facilities) and enter their ID number. 4. **Review** what they'll receive (prints, copies or tablet scans) and the number of envelopes. 5. **We print and mail** real 4x6 prints, addressed and packed the way the facility requires. It's $0.99 per print plus $4.99 per envelope, with no subscription. If the facility returns your photos for any reason other than banned content, you get a full refund or a free reprint. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I put photos inside a Christmas card? Often yes, if both the card and the photos follow the facility's rules. But a card that breaks a rule can get the whole envelope returned, photos included. If you want to send both, consider mailing the card on its own. ### Is there a deadline for Christmas mail? Check the facility's mail page for any holiday notice. If there isn't one, mail early and confirm your loved one's location before you send. ### Can my kids send drawings? Sometimes. Rules on children's drawings vary, and some facilities ban homemade items or anything with crayon, glitter or glued-on parts. A photo of the drawing, printed as a 4x6, is a good workaround. ### Can I send a photo of our Christmas tree with gifts under it? Yes. Just check that nothing in the shot shows cash, weapons or anything else the facility bans. [Send Christmas photos now](https://inmatepics.com/send)