How to Send Books to Federal Inmates: Complete Guide

So you want to send books to someone in federal prison? Well, you can and it's easy! You can send books to inmates from Amazon and other booksellers, but you must follow specific steps or your order will get returned. Here is a complete guide on how to send books to someone incarcerated. ## How to send books to federal inmates from Amazon + other booksellers Sending books to federal inmates from Amazon or any other online booksellers is about understanding facility rules, and making the process as smooth as possible. In this guide, you’ll find clear steps to ship books from any online booksellers or publisher accepted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. ## Choose The Right Book Choosing good books for people in prison may be difficult for some of you. Plus, some books hit different inside. They circulate, inspire, and help people change. They can also be a resource to surviving federal prison. First you should determine what type of book you're going to send. Would they prefer fiction or non-fiction? Could they benefit from a book on credit repair or does he/she have an interest in starting a business? These questions matter, so consider them. Be sure to choose a book that your loved one is actually interested in or something that aligns with their future goals. If you can't think of any right now that's ok. We have a list of popular books for inmates. These are classics in nearly every compound so use this list to spark some ideas. > Federal Home Confinement 2026 ## Recommended books for inmates - As a Man Thinketh by James Allen — short and timeless. - The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren — steady encouragement for the long stretch. - Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki — real lessons about mindset and money. - The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz — small book, big shift in perspective. > Tip: Don't buy NEW books. Get the gently used books. ## Pro Tip: Buy Used Paperbacks A brand new soft cover book on average costs $19. A used book costs $7. So if you know that book will likely not get brought home can you justify spending almost 3x as much? With the money you save from NOT buying a brand new book you can get 1-3 additional (used) books. As an inmate trust me, we would be much happier with MORE books to read than a single new one. Books get shared, borrowed, and lost. Save your money — buy used paperback copies when possible. Paperback books clear mailroom inspection faster because hardcovers and spiral bindings can hide contraband and are often refused. ## Booksellers who ship to inmates The golden rule in this entire process is to choose a bookseller who allows for shipping to federal correctional facilities. Books must come directly from the publisher or bookstore, never from home. Before you place your order, check our approved online Booksellers for prison for best places to order books according to inmates. Why, because not all booksellers ship to prisons and some are preferred by the BOP. So, use this list of best websites to order books for inmates to avoid your order getting rejected or returned. ## Verify Federal Mailing Address This is a crucial step many people forget to do. Don’t assume the physical prison address is the mailing address (because it often isn't). Many Federal Prison facilities prefer mail and orders go to a designated P.O. Box. To verify the mailing address for a federal prison the easiest way is to use our Federal search feature. Follow these steps below: 1. Click the link to our Federal inmate Locator 2. Enter inmate's Register # and search 3. Click the hyperlink in the search results When you enter their name you can see the address and use that to ship the book order. Some prisons forward mail to centralized inspection facilities. Always verify, especially since transfers happen without notice. ## How To Ship Books Correctly When it comes to choosing how to ship to the federal facility be sure to use USPS (not UPS or FedEx). Most institutions prefer regular mail. Skip express shipping, it doesn’t speed up inspection. Include the following info on the package label. Keep your tracking number and confirm delivery with your loved one. REQUIRED INFO (example): John Doe - 12345-678 FCI Leavenworth Federal Correctional Institution P.O. Box 190 Leavenworth, KS 55534 ## Check the Prison Facility’s Rules This is so important Barnes and Noble has a dedicated page for placing orders to correctional facilities where they say "to ensure delivery, it is best to contact the correctional facility to which you will be shipping to". Book limits, addresses, and approved vendor lists can all change. Every federal prison has its own mailroom policy. Have your loved one go to the Receiving & Discharge (R&D) office and ask directly about the current procedure. ## How to check a facility's policy Every federal prison has its own mailroom policy. But here are the top 3 ways to check an individual federal facility's policy. 1. Have your loved one go to the R&D office and ask directly about the current procedure. 2. Check the facility's website or call them. You can locate any BOP facility on BOP.gov 3. Ask the inmate to read the A & O handbook. It's a handbook each new inmate gets when arriving at a facility. ## Sending magazines & newspapers Sending magazine subscriptions for federal inmates is allowed just like in most state prisons. You can subscribe to any magazines that don't show nudity, violence or gang material. The process for sending either of these is the same for sending books. Make sure they come directly from the publisher, verify the address. ## Bureau of Prisons Official policy The official Bureau of Prisons policy on mail does not limit how many orders or subscriptions a person incarcerated in federal prison can receive. It only says "inmates may also receive certain commercial publications from the community". In summary, follow the instructions I've laid out above and everything will be ok. You can view the Federal mail Policy yourself anytime. ## Why Inmate Books Get Rejected As an inmate to date, I’ve had over 37 books delivered to me at different federal prisons and only three deliveries got returned. Books and deliveries get rejected. It happens, so take note of these simple mistakes so you can avoid them and ensure your order makes it through: - Sent from an unapproved or third-party marketplace seller - Contain additional items (bookmarks, notes, etc.) - Shipped from home instead of a bookstore - Hardcover or spiral-bound editions - More than 5 books ordered - Books with prohibited content When in doubt, call the facility mailroom and ask. A 30-second call can save weeks of delay. ## Why Sending Books Matters There is few better feelings than hearing your name called for mail. It's a reminder that somebody still cares. Inside, a book isn’t just paper — it’s a lifeline. It breaks monotony, builds structure, and brings hope. Even sending one book every month can make a massive difference. ## Frequently Asked Questions ## Can I send an e-book or Kindle? No, only physical media. ## What happens if I mess up the address? It will likely be returned to sender or destroyed. ## Can I write a message inside the book? It's generally not recommended as it may be considered contraband. I suggest writing a separate letter and mailing it separately. ## How many books can I send at once? The BOP's limit (nationwide) on personal property is often a 5 book limit at a time. But this isn't always enforced, be sure to check with your LO first. Definitely don't ship more than 5 books at once. Ready to send your book? Double-check the facility's address one more time on the BOP's inmate locator. And if you found this guide helpful, please explore our other helpful articles for more ways to support your loved one during this time. ## Other Helpful Articles You Might Enjoy - BOP'S new directive & First Step Act - Home Confinement Expanded - What it means - The Scary Truth The Bureau Of Prisons Wont Admit - 7 Best Ways to Show Love to Someone in Prison --- Need to find your loved one or track their release date? Use our federal inmate locator to search by name or register number, or set up automatic BOP release date alerts to get notified of every transfer and release date change.