Each calendar month an incarcerated individual in a NYS DOCCS facility may receive up to three food packages weighing 40 lb combined, counted by the date each package arrives. Over the holidays that is three separate allowances: order by October 22 to use October's 40 lb, keep November's for Thanksgiving, and keep December's for Christmas and New Year's.

Short answer: each calendar month, an incarcerated individual in a NYS DOCCS facility may receive up to three food packages weighing 40 lb combined, counted by the date each package arrives at the facility. Over the holidays that is three separate allowances — October, November and December — or 120 lb in total. The plan is simple: order by Thursday, October 22 to use October's 40 lb, keep November's for Thanksgiving, and keep December's for Christmas and New Year's.

The rule, and the detail most people miss

Directive 4911 caps food packages at three per month and 40 lb combined. The detail that decides holiday timing is that the package counts in the month it is received, not the month it was ordered. A package ordered October 29 that reaches the facility November 2 is a November package. A package ordered for Thanksgiving that arrives December 1 is a December package and takes 20 lb away from Christmas. Everything below follows from that one fact.

The three-month calendar

Month	Allowance	Order by	What it's for
October	40 lb, up to 3 packages	Thursday, October 22	Whatever is needed now — if nothing is sent by then, October's 40 lb is simply lost.
November	40 lb, up to 3 packages	Sunday, November 15 for Thanksgiving	Thanksgiving, which lands on November 26. Packages ship the week of November 16.
December	40 lb, up to 3 packages	Sunday, December 13 for Christmas	Christmas and New Year's. Packages ship the week of December 14.

The full list of dates, including last-chance cutoffs, is in our 2026 holiday deadlines guide.

Using October's allowance before it disappears

An allowance that isn't used doesn't roll over. If your loved one has had nothing this month, an order placed by October 22 arrives before the end of the month and uses October's 40 lb without touching November's. That is the single most common mistake we see in the fall: families wait until early November to send a "pre-holiday" package, it arrives November 3 or 4, and it has quietly spent 15 or 20 lb of the Thanksgiving allowance.

How to split 40 lb across three packages

Three packages a month means the allowance does not have to go in one box. A pattern that works well in November:

1. The holiday box first, mid-month. The Holiday Dinner Box is about 20.6 lb (52% of the allowance): turkey breast, roast beef, brisket, stuffing, collards, cornbread, cheddar, three desserts, bread, Sazón and coffee. The Soul Food Box is about 25 lb (62%). Each of our boxes shows its weight as a share of the 40 lb.
2. A fresh or snack top-up. With 15 to 20 lb left, a second package of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese or snacks fills the month without going over.
3. Keep a few pounds in reserve. Fresh items are substituted at equal or greater value when something is out, and a substitute can weigh slightly more. Leaving 2 lb of headroom avoids a package being over the limit at the gate.

How much common items weigh

Weight, not price, is what runs out first. Rough figures for planning:

• Oven-browned turkey breast, 4 lb — 4 lb (10% of the month)
• Applewood-smoked ham, 4 lb — 4 lb
• Sliced roast beef, 2 lb — 2 lb
• Cheese block, 32 oz — 2 lb
• Fresh collard greens, 32 oz — 2 lb
• 8-inch pie — about 1.3 to 1.5 lb
• Peach cobbler, 31 oz — about 2 lb
• Loaf of bread — about 1.4 lb
• Box of stuffing mix — under half a pound
• Pouch of mashed potatoes — about a quarter pound
• Instant coffee, 16 packets — under half a pound

A whole-fruit box is the trap: fruit averages a few dollars a pound, so a box that looks modest in price can be 30 lb of the allowance. Our guide to what you can send in a Thanksgiving package shows a full 20 lb package item by item.

When more than one person is sending

The allowance belongs to the recipient, not the sender. If a mother, a partner and a brother each send a package in November, all three count toward the same 40 lb, and the third one to arrive may be refused. Two ways to avoid that: agree on who sends what and when, or fund one prepaid account that everyone contributes to and that your loved one orders against, so the weight is managed in one place.

Checking the weight before you order

Every box in our Boxes collection lists its weight and its share of the 40 lb. If you are building your own package, message the list with your loved one's name, DIN and facility to WhatsApp at +1 929-394-4215, or call 718-576-3094, and we will total the weight against the allowance before we send the invoice. Delivery times, hours and the returns window are on our Store Information page.

Frequently asked questions

Does an unused allowance carry over to the next month?

No. Each month stands alone.

Can I send 40 lb in one package?

Yes, as long as the individual items meet the size and packaging limits. Most families split it across two packages so fresh items arrive when they will be eaten.

Do non-food packages count against the 40 lb?

No. Clothing and other non-food packages are governed separately under Directive 4911; see our clothing package guide.

Tags

40 lb Allowance Directive 4911 DOCCS Guides Holidays NYS

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