Amazon is one of the prison-approved delivery vendors where you can send any permitted things to an incarcerated individual. However, each correctional facility has its own rules and regulations regarding whether or not they accept deliveries from Amazon. Before sending a package to your loved one in prison, you surely need to confirm with the prison first.
Since most correctional facilities only accept prisoner-approved packages, you may need to know the restrictions before sending a package to prison. If you have a plan to send packages to your loved one in prison, you can see what packages you can send to him or her via Amazon. Let’s check out our post below!
What Packages Can You Send to an Inmate Via Amazon?
Basically, the packages you can send to an incarcerated individual via Amazon are any prison-approved things, including:
- A care package such as a variety of snacks (like candy, chocolate, and chips), foods and drinks (like meats, seafood, noodles, coffee, and milk), and clothes (like underwear and shoes).
- Personal toiletries such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, etc.
- Items like books, art supplies, and headphones.
You can send those items directly to an incarcerated individual by purchasing the packages first on Amazon, and they will send them to the inmate in question. It’s pretty easy for you to buy packages for inmates since Amazon provides dozens of packages that contain a variety of items in each package. So, you can choose the packages you want in accordance with the inmates’ needs.
How to Send Packages to an Inmate Via Amazon?
As one of the largest marketplaces in the world, Amazon makes it easier for an inmate’s family and friends to send packages to their loved one in prison. To send packages to an inmate with Amazon, you definitely need to purchase the packages on Amazon first.
- To send care packages to inmates, you can check out the inmate care packages you can buy on Amazon here.
- On the page, you can then select what packages you want to send to an inmate.
- Afterwards, you need to fill out the receipt address, and Amazon will send the packages to an incarcerated individual as stated on your package.
In the case of filling out the shipping option, you need to write the correctional facility’s initials as a P.O. Box number. If you do this, Amazon will then choose the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver your package to an inmate.
If you don’t do this, Amazon will randomly ship your package to another delivery service, such as UPS or FedEx. Of course, the correctional facility will not accept the package and will return it. So, an incarcerated individual will not sign for and receive your package.
Note: Correctional facilities only accept packages sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS).
In addition, you cannot send your package to an inmate anonymously. Your order should contain the following:
- An inmate’s full name and ID number
- The P.O. Box number of the correctional facility and the facility’s initials
- The destination address
- The return address
If the correctional facility does not accept your package, the delivery service may return the package to your address. However, the invoice for the order will contain your billing address. Amazon cannot include any special labels or instructions on your package. On the outside of the package, it only contains the destination address, Amazon.com company name, and return address.
The way to send a care package also applies when you send a book to an inmate. But you should bear in mind that used or hardcover books will not be accepted. So, if you want to send a book to your loved one in prison, you can instead buy a new book on Amazon and make sure to always use USPS to send a book package to an inmate.
Tips to Send Packages to an Inmate via Amazon
In addition to suggesting that you contact the prison first to check the specific requirements to know whether or not they accept the packages, there are some additional tips to increase the chance that your package will be successfully delivered to your loved one in prison.
The following are the additional tips:
- Make sure to buy inmate care packages or books from Amazon itself rather than third-party sellers on the platform.
- Make sure to choose the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a delivery service.
- Make sure to not send more than one package to prison every two months.
- Make sure your package does not contain more than 10 items.
What If Your Amazon Package is Not Accepted by the Prison?
If the correctional facility where your loved one is housed does not accept your Amazon package due to its rules and regulations, you shouldn’t worry and never think that you wasted your money.
In case the delivery fails, Amazon will grant you a full refund, including the shipping costs. If you buy packages (such as care packages or books) from Amazon, these will be returned to Amazon. Then, they will refund your money to your Amazon account within four weeks at the latest.
If you do not receive the refund within four weeks, you may need to contact Amazon customer service by making a phone call at 00-1-206-922-0880.
It’s important to note that such returned parcels cannot be resent; you may instead need to place a new order if you want to try sending it again to your loved one in prison.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
