Glossary
What is Care Package (Approved Vendor)?
Food, hygiene items or clothing that family orders for an incarcerated person, usually from an approved vendor's catalog.
A care package is a bundle of food, hygiene items, clothing or other goods that family sends to a loved one inside. Many facilities do not let families mail or drop off packages. Instead, you order from an approved vendor, a company with a catalog of items cleared for that facility.
Rules vary. The Marshall Project found some facilities allow packages every three months and others weekly, with caps such as 30 pounds or $150 per quarter. Utah's 2025 fall package program set a $150 limit per package plus an $8.95 shipping charge.
Prices for the same item can differ between facilities. Check with the facility for its vendor, schedule and limits.
Read more
- Prison Care Packages: How They Work and What's Allowed
- Prison Commissary Prices: Why They Feel So High
- The Cost of Supporting a Loved One in Prison, and How to Stretch Your Budget