WRITE TO CILITA

Mail rules — what we check before we print

Every letter is reviewed before printing so it can actually reach the recipient under U.S. Bureau of Prisons mail rules. Incoming mail to a federal facility:

• Must be on plain white paper. We always print in black and white, on white paper, because the facility photocopies incoming mail and gives the recipient the copy, not the original. Your design is in color on screen; the printed letter is not.
• Is opened and inspected by facility staff before delivery (28 CFR § 540.14). This is standard for all incoming general correspondence, not specific to this service.
• Cannot contain threats, harassment, sexual content involving minors, or material that violates facility conduct rules. We screen every message before printing. A message that fails the check is not printed; you are told why and can revise it.
• Has no delivery signature or proof of receipt. Certified and signature tracking under federal rules apply to mail an inmate sends out, not to mail the public sends in. We cannot promise a delivery confirmation because none exists for this kind of mail.

What you can track

Your private status link shows when your letter was printed and handed to the carrier, and any carrier scans we receive. We cannot tell you when — or whether — facility staff hand it to the recipient; that step happens inside the facility, outside any tracking system.

Content guidelines

Write as you would to anyone whose mail is read by prison staff first: no threats, no illegal instructions, no harassment, no contact information for third parties who did not agree to it.

Questions people ask

Why not color? The recipient receives a black-and-white photocopy either way; printing in color would change nothing on their end.
Can I send a photo? Yes — it is printed on the letter sheet itself, not enclosed separately. Nothing loose goes in the envelope.
Is this an official channel? No. This is an independent printing-and-mailing service. It is not affiliated with any government, court, facility, or the person named.