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FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE

How to Send Books to Prison via Amazon

A complete guide to which facilities accept Amazon shipments, what books are allowed, and how to make sure your order gets through. Updated March 2026.

Browse Books Find Your Facility What's Allowed
The #1 Rule: The item MUST say "Sold and shipped by Amazon.com" — third-party marketplace sellers are rejected almost universally. Always call the facility mailroom before ordering.
BEFORE YOU ORDER

10 Rules for Success

1
Call the mailroom first — policies change constantly
2
Only "Sold and shipped by Amazon.com" — never third-party
3
Ship to the facility's P.O. Box — forces USPS delivery
4
New paperbacks only — no hardcovers, no used, no spiral
5
Include inmate's full legal name + ID number in the shipping name
6
Select "Send as gift" at checkout
7
Limit to 3 books per shipment — safer than testing limits
8
Keep your order confirmation — you may need it for a refund
9
No extras in the package — no letters, bookmarks, or inserts
10
Amazon gives full refunds for undeliverable packages
FACILITY LOOKUP

Which Facilities Accept Amazon?

Search by facility name or browse by system. All facilities listed below have been confirmed or widely reported as accepting books shipped directly from Amazon.

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

49 facilities
Ship to the facility's P.O. Box address to force USPS delivery. Always use new paperbacks only. Limit to 5 books per order.
USP Atwater, CA ↓ FCI Coleman Low, FL ↓ FCI Coleman Medium, FL ↓ FCI Coleman USP, FL ↓ FCI Victorville Low, CA ↓ FCI Victorville Medium, CA ↓ MDC Brooklyn, NY ↓ FCI Dublin, CA ↓ FCI Danbury, CT ↓ FCI Otisville, NY ↓ USP Leavenworth, KS ↓ FCI Elkton, OH ↓ FCI Butner Low, NC ↓ FCI Butner Medium, NC ↓ FCI Morgantown, WV ↓ FCI Jesup, GA ↓ FCI Sheridan, OR ↓ FCI Seagoville, TX ↓ FCI Terminal Island, CA ↓ FCI Terre Haute, IN ↓ FCI Petersburg Low, VA ↓ FCI Petersburg Medium, VA ↓ FCI Tallahassee, FL ↓ FCI Miami, FL ↓ FCI Fort Dix, NJ ↓ FCI Cumberland, MD ↓ USP Hazelton, WV ↓ USP Pollock, LA ↓ FCI Oxford, WI ↓ FCI Englewood, CO ↓ FCI Allenwood Low, PA ↓ FCI Allenwood Medium, PA ↓ FCI Allenwood USP, PA ↓ FCI Ashland, KY ↓ FCI Manchester, KY ↓ FCI Beckley, WV ↓ FCI Texarkana, TX ↓ FCI Big Spring, TX ↓ FCI Beaumont Low, TX ↓ FCI Beaumont Medium, TX ↓ FCI Beaumont USP, TX ↓ FCI Memphis, TN ↓ FCI Yazoo City Low, MS ↓ FCI Yazoo City Medium, MS ↓ FCI Yazoo City USP, MS ↓ FCI Bennettsville, SC ↓ FCI Edgefield, SC ↓ FCI Estill, SC ↓ FCI Williamsburg, SC ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

Washington State (DOC)

12 facilities
Amazon and Barnes & Noble are explicitly named as approved vendors on the DOC website.
Airway Heights Corrections Center ↓ Clallam Bay Corrections Center ↓ Coyote Ridge Corrections Center ↓ Monroe Correctional Complex ↓ Stafford Creek Corrections Center ↓ Washington Corrections Center ↓ Washington Corrections Center for Women ↓ Washington State Penitentiary (Walla Walla) ↓ Olympic Corrections Center ↓ Larch Corrections Center ↓ Cedar Creek Corrections Center ↓ Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

Michigan (MDOC)

23 facilities
Amazon is explicitly named as an approved internet vendor. Must include gift receipt or invoice as verification.
Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility ↓ Carson City Correctional Facility ↓ Central Michigan Correctional Facility ↓ Chippewa Correctional Facility ↓ Cooper Street Correctional Facility ↓ G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility ↓ Gus Harrison Correctional Facility ↓ Ionia Correctional Facility ↓ Kinross Correctional Facility ↓ Lakeland Correctional Facility ↓ Macomb Correctional Facility ↓ Marquette Branch Prison ↓ Michigan Reformatory ↓ Muskegon Correctional Facility ↓ Newberry Correctional Facility ↓ Oaks Correctional Facility ↓ Parnall Correctional Facility ↓ Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility ↓ Saginaw Correctional Facility ↓ St. Louis Correctional Facility ↓ Thumb Correctional Facility ↓ Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility ↓ Woodland Center Correctional Facility ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

California (CDCR)

22 facilities
Inmates can possess up to 10 books at a time. No content with maps, nudity, or material inciting hate/violence. Books MUST arrive via USPS.
California State Prison, Sacramento (New Folsom) ↓ San Quentin Rehabilitation Center ↓ California Institution for Men (Chino) ↓ California Institution for Women (Corona) ↓ Calipatria State Prison ↓ Centinela State Prison ↓ Central California Women's Facility ↓ Chuckawalla Valley State Prison ↓ Correctional Training Facility (Soledad) ↓ High Desert State Prison ↓ Ironwood State Prison ↓ Kern Valley State Prison ↓ Mule Creek State Prison ↓ North Kern State Prison ↓ Pelican Bay State Prison ↓ Pleasant Valley State Prison ↓ R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility ↓ Salinas Valley State Prison ↓ Sierra Conservation Center ↓ Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (Corcoran) ↓ Valley State Prison ↓ Wasco State Prison ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

New York (DOCCS)

21 facilities
Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and used book dealers will be rejected. Only Amazon-direct.
Attica Correctional Facility ↓ Auburn Correctional Facility ↓ Clinton Correctional Facility ↓ Sing Sing Correctional Facility ↓ Green Haven Correctional Facility ↓ Great Meadow Correctional Facility ↓ Shawangunk Correctional Facility ↓ Sullivan Correctional Facility ↓ Wende Correctional Facility ↓ Woodbourne Correctional Facility ↓ Eastern NY Correctional Facility ↓ Five Points Correctional Facility ↓ Fishkill Correctional Facility ↓ Mid-State Correctional Facility ↓ Otisville Correctional Facility ↓ Wallkill Correctional Facility ↓ Bedford Hills Correctional Facility ↓ Albion Correctional Facility ↓ Bayview Correctional Facility ↓ Collins Correctional Facility ↓ Gouverneur Correctional Facility ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

Texas (TDCJ)

18 facilities
Over 9,000 titles are banned in Texas prisons. Check with the Mail System Coordinators Panel before ordering. Call the unit mailroom first.
Allan B. Polunsky Unit ↓ Allred Unit ↓ Beto Unit ↓ Clements Unit ↓ Coffield Unit ↓ Connally Unit ↓ Darrington Unit ↓ Ellis Unit ↓ Estelle Unit ↓ Ferguson Unit ↓ Huntsville Unit ↓ Michael Unit ↓ McConnell Unit ↓ Ramsey Unit ↓ Robertson Unit ↓ Stiles Unit ↓ Telford Unit ↓ Wynne Unit ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

Florida (FDC)

31 facilities
Inmates may possess no more than 4 personal books at a time. USPS only — UPS/FedEx will be refused.
Apalachee Correctional Institution ↓ Baker Correctional Institution ↓ Charlotte Correctional Institution ↓ Columbia Correctional Institution ↓ Cross City Correctional Institution ↓ Dade Correctional Institution ↓ Everglades Correctional Institution ↓ Florida State Prison (Starke) ↓ Gulf Correctional Institution ↓ Hamilton Correctional Institution ↓ Hardee Correctional Institution ↓ Holmes Correctional Institution ↓ Jackson Correctional Institution ↓ Jefferson Correctional Institution ↓ Lake Correctional Institution ↓ Lowell Correctional Institution ↓ Madison Correctional Institution ↓ Marion Correctional Institution ↓ Martin Correctional Institution ↓ Northwest Florida Reception Center ↓ Okaloosa Correctional Institution ↓ Okeechobee Correctional Institution ↓ Reception & Medical Center (Lake Butler) ↓ Santa Rosa Correctional Institution ↓ Suwannee Correctional Institution ↓ Taylor Correctional Institution ↓ Tomoka Correctional Institution ↓ Union Correctional Institution ↓ Wakulla Correctional Institution ↓ Walton Correctional Institution ↓ Zephyrhills Correctional Institution ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

Arizona (ADC)

9 facilities
Make sure the order includes a packing slip. Order 2+ books at once, as Amazon is more likely to include a slip.
ASPC Douglas ↓ ASPC Eyman ↓ ASPC Florence ↓ ASPC Lewis ↓ ASPC Perryville (Women) ↓ ASPC Safford ↓ ASPC Tucson ↓ ASPC Winslow ↓ ASPC Yuma ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

Maryland

3 facilities
Many facilities maintain Amazon wishlists and actively accept Amazon shipments. Verify individually.
Calvert County Detention Center ↓ Prince George's County Detention Center ↓ Springfield Hospital Center ↓
Browse Books & Magazines to Send →

States Where Amazon Does NOT Work

South Carolina — Amazon removed from approved vendor list as of October 2025
Missouri — Banned free books from friends/family; restricted to purchase-only through approved channels
WHAT TO SEND

Books & Magazines That Get Through

These categories are accepted at virtually all federal and state facilities.

Dictionaries & Thesauruses The #1 most requested item everywhere
GED & Educational Prep Study guides, test prep, workbooks
Religious Texts Bibles, Qurans, Torah, devotionals, faith-based study guides
Self-Help & Personal Development Motivation, life skills, anger management, addiction recovery
Vocational & Trade Books Carpentry, welding, automotive, cooking, electrician guides
Financial Literacy Budgeting, money management, starting a business
Legal Reference Criminal law guides, know-your-rights, legal dictionaries
Language Learning Spanish, ESL, other language instruction
Fiction (Mainstream) Novels, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, literary fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Life stories, historical figures, inspirational journeys
History American, world, military history (non-instructional)
Health & Wellness General fitness, nutrition, mental health awareness
Art Instruction Drawing, sketching, calligraphy how-to books
Coloring & Puzzle Books Adult coloring books, crosswords, sudoku (no spiral binding)
Parenting Fatherhood/motherhood guides, maintaining family relationships
Reentry Preparation Job interview skills, resume writing, housing guides
Cooking Recipe books (no alcohol-making instructions)
Philosophy & Meditation General philosophy, ethics, mindfulness

Magazines Usually Accepted

Time Newsweek The Economist Scientific American Popular Science National Geographic Sports Illustrated Reader's Digest Car and Driver Wired Popular Mechanics Bon Appetit The New Yorker The Atlantic
WILL BE REJECTED

What NOT to Send

Content-Based Rejections

  • Sexually explicit material, nudity, pornography, erotica
  • Weapons or explosives instructions
  • Escape methods or tactical information
  • Drug or alcohol manufacturing instructions
  • Maps, blueprints, or facility layouts
  • Gang-related content, symbols, or recruitment
  • Material inciting violence, riot, or insurrection
  • Criminal instruction (lock-picking, hacking, fraud)
  • Child exploitation material
  • Coded language guides
  • Hate group or extremist literature
  • Identity theft or forgery guides
  • Tattoo books with gang imagery

Format-Based Rejections

  • Hardcover books — rejected at nearly all facilities
  • Used books — rejected at most facilities
  • Spiral-bound books — wire can be used as weapon
  • Books with metal components — clasps, rings, bindings
  • Books from home addresses — must come from a business
  • Third-party Amazon sellers — only Amazon-direct
  • UPS or FedEx shipments — most require USPS only
  • Packages with inserts — no notes, bookmarks, photos
  • Missing inmate ID — must include full name + number
  • Oversized packages — usually 3-5 book limit
  • Damaged or altered books — any tampering = rejected
  • Highlighted or written-in books — must be pristine

Magazines Always Rejected

  • Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler, Maxim
  • Tattoo magazines (gang imagery)
  • Guns & Ammo, firearms publications
  • High Times (drug content)
  • Soldier of Fortune

This guide is based on publicly available information from DOC websites, Amazon's shipping policies, advocacy organizations, and news reports. Individual facility policies may differ and change at any time. Always verify with the facility mailroom before ordering.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Book links on this page are paid affiliate links.

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