Mail & Photos at Kirkland R&E. Why Photos Aren't Allowed Yet

Letters Still Get Through

Unlike visitation, which is blocked for the first 30 days, and phone calls, which start once the inmate has a PIN, regular letters can reach someone at Kirkland from day one of intake. Address your letter with the person’s legal name, SCDC number if you have it, and the facility address:

[Inmate's Legal Name]
[SCDC Number]
Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center
4344 Broad River Road
Columbia, SC 29210

Put your complete return address in the upper-left corner. All mail is opened and inspected before delivery. Legal mail is the exception: it’s opened in the inmate’s presence, not beforehand.

Photos Are Blocked During R&E

This is the one place Kirkland’s mail rules genuinely differ from a standard SCDC institution: inmates in Reception and Evaluation cannot receive photos at all, no matter how many you send or how the envelope is addressed. This isn’t a limit, it’s a full restriction specific to R&E and restricted housing statuses. Once someone transfers out of Kirkland to their permanent institution, the standard rule applies: up to 10 photos per envelope.

Publications Are Also Restricted During Intake

Inmates in intake status cannot receive any publications, including newspapers and magazines, regardless of vendor. Once transferred to a permanent institution, the standard SCDC rules apply: books only from one of five approved vendors (Hamilton Book, Books N Things Warehouse, Books2Inmates, SureShot Books Publishing, or Barnes & Noble/Books-A-Million online orders only), paperback only, with a paid-in-advance invoice enclosed, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Magazines don’t need to come from those vendors but must be paid for in advance and shipped directly from a verified subscription source.

Clippings and Printouts

Up to 5 pages of newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, crossword pages, or printed internet material (other than SCDC’s own site) per envelope, as long as content isn’t questionable. This limit applies regardless of R&E status.

What’s Never Allowed

Cash, stamps, writing materials, food, drinks, and tobacco can never be mailed to an inmate, at Kirkland or anywhere else in SCDC.

Once Transferred, the Full Mail Rules Apply

The photo restriction and publication block are specific to R&E and restricted housing status. As soon as someone transfers to their assigned permanent institution, the standard SCDC mail rules, including the 10-photo-per-envelope allowance, take over.

Send Photos and Letters with Pigeonly

The easiest way to send photos and letters to someone at Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center is through Pigeonly. Upload your photos or write your letter online, and Pigeonly prints and mails everything to the facility for you, following the mail rules listed above.