Prison Care Packages: How They Work and What's Allowed

Prison care packages are boxes of food, hygiene items, clothing or other approved goods sent to someone in prison. In most systems today, you cannot pack and mail a box yourself. Instead, you order from an approved vendor, and the vendor ships the package straight to the facility. Each state sets its own limits on how often packages can arrive and what they can hold.

Why most packages go through approved vendors

Prisons screen everything that comes in. To make this easier, many systems only accept packages that come directly from a company they allow.

• California: Family members cannot send packages directly. Packages, called quarterly packages, must come through private vendors approved by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
• New York: Packages may only come directly from vendors by mail or carrier. Families can no longer bring packages during visits or mail them from home.
• Washington: Property packages and food and hygiene packages must be ordered through Union Supply Direct. Other outside vendor packages must come from a vendor the department approves.
• Federal prison: Packages from home need prior written approval from staff. Without it, only release clothing and authorized medical devices are allowed.

How approved-vendor package programs work

The steps are similar in the states we reviewed:

1. Check your state's official page for the list of approved vendors.
2. Gather your loved one's details. California asks for the person's name, CDCR number, privilege group and current housing location.
3. Shop the vendor's catalog for your state. Pick items from the approved list for that prison system.
4. Place the order and pay the vendor. The vendor ships the box directly to the facility.
5. Track the timing. New York, for one, counts food packages by when they arrive, not when you order.

California lists six approved quarterly package vendors on its website: Access Securepak, Mike's Better Shoes, The Vitamin Outlet, Union Supply Direct, Walkenhorst's and Emma's Premium Services. California's operations manual says only one vendor can be used per package, but you can choose a different vendor next time.

New York takes a different approach. It publishes a list of disapproved vendors, and vendors not on that list are allowed. Check the list before you order.

Package limits in three states

Limits vary a lot. Here is what three states list:

State	What the official rules say
California	Packages are quarterly. A lockdown or modified program can pause delivery for up to 90 days, but the manual says it should not cost the person a quarterly package.
Washington	Not counting food and hygiene packages, no more than 2 packages a month and up to 12 property or prepaid vendor packages a year. Food and hygiene packages: one in each of six ordering periods a year.
New York	Up to three food packages a month, with a combined weight of no more than 40 pounds.

A few more details matter:

• New York counts food packages by when they arrive at the facility. If a vendor splits one order into several boxes, it can push your loved one over the limit, and extra food packages are denied.
• Washington says people who have just arrived at its WCC and WCCW reception centers do not receive packages, with one small exception for tablet earbuds.
• Some New York programs do not allow packages at all, including Shock Incarceration, Work Release and certain drug treatment programs.

What's usually not allowed in prison care packages

Rules are specific, so always read your state's list. New York's package directive gives a clear example of the kinds of things that are banned. It excludes food made at home, in a bakery, in a restaurant or in a deli. Other items it does not allow include:

• Anything with alcohol in it
• Frozen foods, or foods that need freezing
• Glass containers and cans
• Items that are not commercially sealed, except fresh fruits and vegetables
• Chewing gum and hollow candy
• Uncooked popcorn

New York also requires each package to show the person's name and DIN, and a printed, not handwritten, return address. Receipts are required for items worth more than $30.

California limits what people can own to items on its approved property schedule. Washington says package contents must follow its property policy and points families to its unauthorized mail list.

Books and publications

Books are often handled separately from care packages. Washington treats books as publications, not property, and allows them when they come directly from a publisher. The federal Bureau of Prisons also allows books and magazines sent straight from the publisher.

Tips for ordering a care package

• Start on the official corrections website, not a search ad.
• Confirm your loved one's current facility. Washington says packages may be rerouted if someone moves while an order is in transit.
• Watch the calendar. Packages often count by period, quarter or month.
• Know the difference between packages and money. In California, money sent to a person can be taken for court-ordered restitution, but packages bought directly from a vendor are not affected.

If you would rather send money for commissary, see how to put money on someone's commissary. To see what people can buy inside, read our prison commissary food guide. For federal rules, see our federal prison commissary guide.