THIS IS BEING DONE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

Texas Inmates to Stop Receiving Physical Letters, Will Get Scanned Images Instead

Inmate advocates argue that this change will deprive prisoners of connections with their loved ones

By Elizabeth Urban

 

The Messenger

July 19, 2023

 

 

All mail including letters, photographs and drawings will now be scanned and given to Texas prison inmates in a digital copy in an effort to reduce contraband.

Texas inmates will no longer receive physical mail, such as letters, photographs, and drawings, from friends and family. Instead, all mail will now be scanned, and digitized copies will be added to the inmate's tablet.

The change comes as the Texas Department of Criminal Justice continues to find contraband mailed to prisoners, as reported by WFAA. The department hopes that this change will prevent people from mailing weapons, phones, or drugs, as jailers have even found letters soaked in narcotics.

For inmates in tight custody who do not have access to a tablet, they will be given black-and-white physical copies of their mail.

"While no single effort can completely stop the transmission of dangerous contraband, we feel that every measure we can take to improve health and safety in our facilities is worth adopting," a TDCJ spokesperson said in a statement.

On the other hand, inmate advocates argue that this change will deprive prisoners of connections with their loved ones. Jennifer Toon, project director for the Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance and a former inmate, said she used to collect the letters she received from her brother and father.

"I'd run my hand over their signature," Toon told the outlet. "It's just different when it's the hand-written, tangible thing."

In addition to advocates, some experts also express skepticism about the change. The Texas Tribune and The Marshall Project found in a 2021 investigation that even when mail privileges and visitations were rolled back due to COVID-19, the flow of contraband did not change. The investigation found that prisoners and their families were often not responsible for the illegal materials; rather, corrupt prison staff were usually the cause.

The change has gone into effect this week at 10 state prisons so far and will continue to be implemented at other prisons in the coming weeks. Inmates will still be able to receive legal and media mail, books, and magazines as usual, and they will still be able to write and mail letters.