How to mail an inmate in Illinois
To write to someone in Illinois state custody, address the envelope to the inmate's full committed name and IDOC number, then the facility’s own mailing address. Each facility has its own mailing address, listed below. Run by the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The mailing address
[Inmate's full committed name] [IDOC number] [Facility name] [Facility mailing address — see the facility page]
Replace the bracketed lines with the person's details and their facility (pick it below for the exact wording).
How Illinois inmate mail works
- Illinois sends inmate mail to each prison directly. Address it to the individual in custody’s full name and IDOC number, then the facility’s own mailing address.
- Since 2025, incoming personal mail is opened and digitally scanned; the person views it electronically or can request a free physical printout. Send copies, not originals — scanned mail is not returned.
- Include your full name and return address. Mail without the IDOC number or a return address can be rejected or delayed.
- Photographs must be sent unopened, directly from an approved vendor. Legal mail is handled separately and still goes to the facility.
- Confirm the person’s current facility on IDOC’s individual-in-custody search before mailing — people are transferred between prisons without notice.
What you can't send
- Cash, checks, money orders, or postage stamps
- Any item other than paper (no polaroids, laminated items, or enclosures)
- Photographs not sent directly from an approved vendor
- Nude, sexually explicit, or gang-related photos or content
- Stickers, glitter, glue, tape, perfume, lipstick, or crayon/marker
Photos: Under the digitized-mail rules, photos must be sent unopened and directly from an approved vendor — personal photo prints tucked into a letter are not accepted.
Books & magazines: Books and magazines must come from an approved publisher or vendor (limited exceptions for used books) — they cannot be sent as personal mail.
All 32 Illinois facilities
- Big Muddy River Correctional CenterIna, IL
- Centralia Correctional CenterCentralia, IL
- Danville Correctional CenterDanville, IL
- Decatur Correctional CenterDecatur, IL
- Dixon Correctional CenterDixon, IL
- East Moline Correctional CenterEast Moline, IL
- FCI GreenvilleGreenville, IL
- FCI MarionMarion, IL
- FCI PekinPekin, IL
- FCI ThomsonThomson, IL
- Graham Correctional CenterHillsboro, IL
- Hill Correctional CenterGalesburg, IL
- Illinois River Correctional CenterCanton, IL
- Jacksonville Correctional CenterJacksonville, IL
- Joliet Treatment CenterJoliet, IL
- Lawrence Correctional CenterSumner, IL
- Lincoln Correctional CenterLincoln, IL
- Logan Correctional CenterLincoln, IL
- MCC ChicagoChicago, IL
- Menard Correctional CenterMenard, IL
- Northern Reception and Classification CenterJoliet, IL
- Pinckneyville Correctional CenterPinckneyville, IL
- Pontiac Correctional CenterPontiac, IL
- Robinson Correctional CenterRobinson, IL
- Shawnee Correctional CenterVienna, IL
- Sheridan Correctional CenterSheridan, IL
- Southwestern Illinois Correctional CenterEast St. Louis, IL
- Stateville Correctional CenterJoliet, IL
- Taylorville Correctional CenterTaylorville, IL
- Vandalia Correctional CenterVandalia, IL
- Vienna Correctional CenterVienna, IL
- Western Illinois Correctional CenterMount Sterling, IL
Common questions
What is the mailing address for an inmate in Illinois?
Address the envelope to the inmate's full committed name and IDOC number, then the facility’s own mailing address. Use the specific facility’s mailing address, listed on its page below.
Is inmate mail in Illinois opened or scanned?
Yes. Under the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)'s rules, incoming personal mail is opened and scanned, and the inmate receives a copy rather than your original.
What can't I send to a Illinois inmate?
Do not send: Cash, checks, money orders, or postage stamps; Any item other than paper (no polaroids, laminated items, or enclosures); Photographs not sent directly from an approved vendor; Nude, sexually explicit, or gang-related photos or content; Stickers, glitter, glue, tape, perfume, lipstick, or crayon/marker. Prohibited items get the letter rejected.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)'s official inmate locator, then open that facility's page below for the exact addressing. People are transferred without notice, so confirm before mailing anything important.
Write it now — we print & mail it for you.
Type your letter, pick the facility, and PostPal prints and mails it via USPS — with your return address so they can write back. No printer or post office.