To send photos to someone in an Illinois state prison, mail them to the prison where your loved one is housed, with their full name and IDOC number on the envelope. Most personal mail is now scanned or photocopied, but the Illinois Department of Corrections says photos sent directly from a photo printing company are not, so prints mailed that way can reach your loved one as real photos.
That one exception makes a big difference for families. Here's how Illinois prison mail works today, what the photo rules are, and how to make sure your photos get through.
How Illinois prison mail works
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) changed how it handles incoming mail in response to chemical-laced paper. Under its incoming mail policies and procedures, non-privileged mail is now handled in one of these ways:
- Scanned in color and uploaded to your loved one's tablet, or
- Photocopied in color and handed to them, or
- Printed as a copy and delivered.
IDOC lists a few kinds of mail that are not scanned or photocopied. One of them is photos sent directly from photo printing service companies. Those are handled as photos, not turned into copies, as long as the content is allowed.
Unlike some states, Illinois doesn't use an out-of-state mail center. IDOC tells families to keep sending mail to the facility where the person is housed.
This applies across IDOC, including Stateville Correctional Center, Logan Correctional Center, Menard Correctional Center and Pontiac Correctional Center.
Mailing address for photos
Address photos to your loved one at their prison:
[Full name] [IDOC Number]
[Prison name]
[Prison mailing address]
[City] IL [ZIP]
IDOC publishes each facility's address on its website. Each prison's page in our Illinois facility directory shows the address we use. Where we haven't yet confirmed a prison's mailing address from IDOC's own rules, our page says so, and we check it before we mail your order.
A tip straight from IDOC: put the person's IDOC number near their name on the envelope, and on each page, photo or other document inside. That helps the mailroom keep everything together and speeds up processing.
The ID number you need
Illinois uses the IDOC number. It's the number IDOC asks families to put next to the person's name on every envelope, and on each photo or page inside.
To find it, use IDOC's Individual in Custody Search on the department's website. It shows the person's number and current facility. Your loved one can also share it with you. Our guide to finding an inmate ID number has more on using state search tools.
Photo rules
IDOC publishes a list of unauthorized items. For photos, that includes:
- Photos larger than 8 x 10 inches
- Photo albums or photo books
- Photo negatives or slides
- Thermal or photosensitive paper
- Nude images and sexually explicit material
- Photos of people in prison and mug shots
- Anything suspected to be gang-related, including hand signs or gestures, and hand signs that have been scratched out or marked over
- Alcohol, suspected drugs or money
IDOC also asks families to avoid glue, glitter, paint and other adhesives, which can damage scanners.
IDOC's mail page doesn't set a limit on the number of photos. InmatePics sends up to 10 photos per envelope for Illinois prisons, and a standard 4x6 print is well within the 8 x 10 size limit.
Note the gang-sign rule in particular. Even a playful hand gesture can get a photo rejected.
What your loved one receives
It depends on how the photos arrive:
- Photos mailed directly from a photo printing company are not scanned or photocopied under IDOC's rules, so your loved one can receive the prints.
- Photos you mail yourself in a personal letter are scanned or photocopied in color, and your loved one sees them on a tablet or receives a copy.
Our Illinois facility pages say prints are the usual result, but we haven't yet confirmed it at every facility. We show you what to expect before you pay, and if a facility returns your order, you get a full refund or a free reprint.
For a broader look at prints versus copies versus tablet scans, see our post on prison mail scanning.
Step by step
- Search for your loved one in IDOC's Individual in Custody Search to confirm their IDOC number and current facility.
- Look up the facility's mailing address on IDOC's website or in our directory.
- Choose your photos. Standard 4x6 prints work well, and nothing larger than 8 x 10.
- Check the content against IDOC's list: no nudity, gang signs, drugs, alcohol, money or mug shots.
- Address the envelope with their name and IDOC number, and write the IDOC number on the back of each photo if you're mailing them yourself.
- Skip glue, glitter and stickers, and mail it.
The simpler way: with InmatePics, you upload photos from your phone, choose the prison and enter your loved one's name and IDOC number. Our printing and mailing partners print real 4x6 photos and mail them straight to the prison, addressed the way it requires. It's $0.99 per print plus $4.99 per envelope. Ten photos in one envelope cost $14.89, with no subscription.
Tips to avoid returned or delayed mail
- Put the IDOC number next to the name on the envelope, as IDOC asks.
- Double-check the facility. Some prisons share a town. Joliet, for example, has several IDOC facilities.
- Keep prints 8 x 10 or smaller. Larger photos are on IDOC's unauthorized list.
- Don't send photo albums or photo books. IDOC lists them as unauthorized.
- Avoid photos with hand gestures. IDOC treats suspected gang signs, even scratched-out ones, as unauthorized.
- Recheck after a transfer. Illinois mail goes to the facility, so a move means a new address.
Frequently asked questions
Does IDOC scan photos?
IDOC scans or photocopies most non-privileged mail, including photos in personal letters, in color. Photos sent directly from a photo printing service company are on IDOC's list of items that are not scanned or photocopied.
Where do I send photos for an Illinois prison?
To the facility where your loved one is housed. IDOC tells families to keep sending mail to the facility, and it publishes facility addresses on its website.
How many photos can I send to someone in IDOC?
IDOC's mail page doesn't set a specific number. InmatePics sends up to 10 photos per envelope and splits larger orders across envelopes.
Does this apply to Cook County Jail?
No. Cook County Jail is run by the Cook County Sheriff, not IDOC, and has its own mail rules. See our guide to sending photos to Cook County Jail. Federal prisons in Illinois follow Bureau of Prisons rules, covered in our federal prison guide.
Send photos to an Illinois state prison
Find your loved one's prison in our Illinois facility directory for the address and current rules, or start your order. Delivered, or your money back.
