How to Send Books to Prisoners at HM Prison Usk, Monmouthshire

Ship Books From Amazon UK to the HM Prison Usk

Most prisons in the UK will not accept books from local bookstores. You need to ship your books direct from a national bookstore. Prisons will not accept books from friends and family of the prisoner.  You have to ship direct from a major national bookstore like Amazon.

We highly recommend that you shop for books on Amazon, the world’s largest bookstore and most importantly that you only view books for sale by Amazon themselves (other third party merchants can also sell on Amazon.com) to ensure your books correctly.  Other online bookstores and even many third party sellers on Amazon.co.uk are known to cancel orders to prisons or to not pack them according to prison requirements. Do not have the books shipped to yourself and the forward the parcel onto the Prison. Books should be shipped direct from Amazon to the Prison to maximise the chance they get accepted.

Only Ship New Books to Prison

To ensure security most prisons will only accept new books in brand new condition. There must be a delivery note attached to the package that clearly lists all the books included showing them as new books and listing their individual prices. Many prisons also operate a size restriction so if you intend to send large books then check with the mail room at  HM Prison Usk first.

Address the Shipment Correctly

Her Majesty’s Prison Service will only accept book deliveries at HM Prison Usk when they are addressed correctly to the prisoner.

Any parcel needs to clearly identify the prisoners name and their prison number.  Shipments should be addressed like this:

Prisoner Name – Prison Number
Prison Name
Street Name
POSTAL TOWN/CITY
COUNTY
POSTAL CODE
UNITED KINGDOM 

Do Not Ship Hardcover Books

Very few UK prisons will accept hard-cover books so unless you have a confirmation direct from prison authorities at HM Prison Usk or someone has confirmed in the comments section below that hardcover books can be received at this prison it is safest to always ship softcover books. Be sure to avoid staples, cardboard, spiral binding  as well as additional items like bookmarks, etc

No Violence or Nudity in Books Sent to Prison

Prison authorities will almost always reject any books with nudity or any sort of violent themes. Whether you are sending fiction or non fiction steer clear of any books with the following to minimise the chance your books is rejected:-

1. Depictions of nudity, obscenities, suggestive images, or other offensive materials.
2. Depictions of weapons, gang references, criminal activity, codes, or markings.
3. Depictions containing writings, images or references that may incite violence, riot, racism.

Every Prisoner Has a Limit on What They Can Receive

You should always check with the HM Prison Usk mail room before sending many books but a good general rule for shipping books to prisoners is one parcel per month containing no more than 10 books. If the prisoner receives more than their limit any further book shipments may be rejected. This includes any deliveries they have received from other friends or relatives. Don’t forget to check with the prisoner to make sure that they have not already received their allowance already that month. Don’t forget to read the comments below to see if anyone has found that the rules for HM Prison Usk are any different.

Do Not Send a Magazine Subscription to a Prisoner

Although most prisons will allow you to send books to prisoners magazines are not allowed. Magazines must be purchased by the prisoner in th canteen as each prison has a relationship with a local newsagent.

If you want to send a magazine to the prisoner that they are unable to get themselves through the canteen we suggest you contact the HM Prison Usk mail room and discuss the process.