Section 525.110  Definitions

 

a)         "Assistant Director" means the second highest ranking official of the Department.

 

b)         "Chief" or "Deputy Director" means the highest ranking official of a district or division within the Department.

 

c)         "Chief Administrative Officer" means the highest ranking official of a correctional facility.

 

d)         "Department" means the Department of Corrections.

 

e)         "Director" means the Director of the Department.

 

f)         "Mail Digitization" for purposes of this Subpart, means the process of scanning non-privileged incoming physical mail to create an electronic or digitized version.

 

g)         "Digital Copy Distribution" for the purposes of this Subpart, means the process of distributing the electronic or digitized version of non-privileged incoming mail to the individual in custody's electronic device.

 

h)         "Physical Copy Distribution" for purposes of this Subpart, means the process of distributing a printed copy of the electronic or digitized version of non-privileged incoming mail.

 

i)          "Incoming privileged mail" means mail from the following:

 

1)         The Director;

 

2)         Assistant Director, Chiefs, and Deputy Directors of the Department;

 

3)         Department attorneys;

 

4)         The Department Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) coordinator;

 

5)         The Department American with Disabilities Act coordinator;

 

6)         Members of the Administrative Review Board;

 

7)         Members of the Prisoner Review Board;

 

8)         The Governor of Illinois;

 

9)         A Foreign Consular;

 

10)       Federal or Illinois legislators;

 

11)       The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Customs Service, the Secret Service, the Illinois State Police, and Sheriff's Offices and Police Departments in the State of Illinois;

 

12)       The Office of the Illinois Inspector General;

 

13)       John Howard Association;

 

14)       A rape crisis center that has executed a memorandum of understanding with the facility; and

 

15)       Legal mail.

 

j)          "Outgoing privileged mail" means mail to the following:

 

1)         The Director;

 

2)         Assistant Director, Chiefs, and Deputy Directors of the Department;

 

3)         Department attorneys;

 

4)         The Department PREA coordinator;

 

5)         The Department Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator;

 

6)         Members of the Administrative Review Board;

 

7)         Members of the Prisoner Review Board;

 

8)         The Governor of Illinois;

 

9)         A Foreign Consular;

 

10)       Federal or Illinois legislators;

 

11)       The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Customs Service, the Secret Service, the Illinois State Police, and Sheriff's Offices and Police Departments in the State of Illinois;

 

12)       The Office of the Illinois Inspector General;

 

13)       John Howard Association;

 

14)       A rape crisis center that has executed a memorandum of understanding with the facility;

 

15)       Clerks of courts or of the Illinois Court of Claims; and

 

16)       Legal mail.

 

k)         "Legal mail" means mail to and from the following:

 

1)         Registered Attorneys who provide legal representation to individuals in custody;

 

2)         State's Attorneys;

 

3)         The United States Department of Justice and Offices of the United States Attorneys;

 

4)         The Office of the Illinois Attorney General;

 

5)         Judges or magistrates of any court or the Illinois Court of Claims Judges; and

 

6)         Any organization that provides direct legal representation to individuals in custody, but not including organizations that provide referrals to attorneys, such as bar associations.

 

l)          "Individual in Custody" means a person committed to the Department or to the custody of the Department.

 

m)        "Photocopy" for the purposes of this Subpart, means the process of creating a photographic copy of printed or written material through using light on a specific surface or other xerography and related techniques.

 

(Source:  Amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 1047, effective January 9, 2026)