{"id":6136,"date":"2024-11-11T12:07:43","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T17:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/?p=6136"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:42:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T21:42:33","slug":"mail-scanning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/","title":{"rendered":"Mail Scanning"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-heading mt-10 lg:mt-15 -mb-3\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-mail-scanning\"><strong>WHAT IS MAIL SCANNING?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail scanning programs scan the original, physical mail sent to people who are incarcerated and reproduce it into digital copies. These inferior digital copies are then transferred to individual tablets, shared kiosks, or reprinted on paper. Mail scanning occurs within correctional facilities or under the control of a third-party provider. The original copies are typically destroyed, and the people in prison never get to see or hold the original letter.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>People who are incarcerated rely on postal mail to receive letters from people in their support system, drawings from their children, photos of loved ones, love letters from spouses, birthday or holiday cards, religious materials from faith leaders, coursework from professors, books, magazines, and newsletters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Because most people are incarcerated far from home, mail is often the least expensive and most-used way for them to stay in touch with their loved ones. Mail scanning replaces this vital form of family contact with a needlessly complicated process that imposes more costs on families and fails to make prisons or communities any safer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-heading mt-10 lg:mt-15 -mb-3\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-does-it-matter\"><strong>WHY DOES IT MATTER?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail scanning has skyrocketed in popularity among correctional facilities in the United States. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2022\/11\/17\/mail-scanning\/\">25 state prison systems<\/a> have implemented mail scanning as of May 2025. Many other states have pilot programs that will likely become permanent before long, or that allow them to scan mail in certain situations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>The practice of mail scanning has risen in prominence principally due to the myth among prison officials that mail scanning will stop the flow of contraband into jails and prisons. However, there is no evidence of this effect, and in some states, drug use and overdoses have <em>increased<\/em> after the implementation of mail scanning policies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail scanning imposes numerous burdens on people who are incarcerated and their loved ones without making prisons safer. Mail scanning presents a number of problems:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><strong>Mail scanning fails to eliminate contraband in prisons, which is the problem it claims to solve.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail scanning does not make prisons safer. Contraband prevention is the central argument that correctional staff and third-party providers employ to justify mail scanning. However, mail scanning is not an effective way to prevent contraband from entering correctional facilities. In many states, mail scanning has shown little, if any, effect on the flow of contraband. In some states, rates of substance use and overdose have even increased following the implementation of mail scanning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Across a number of metrics, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/news\/2023\/04\/nearly-5-years-after-inmate-mail-scanning-policy-took-effect-pa-prison-drug-problem-remains.html\">the drug problem in Pennsylvania state prisons actually became worse after mail scanning procedures went into effect<\/a>. Five years in, the rate of people incarcerated in Pennsylvania testing positive on random drug screenings nearly tripled compared to rates before the change.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>A year after the New Mexico Corrections Department banned physical mail and implemented mail scanning, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2024\/01\/30\/punishing-drug-use\/\">the state reported the new procedure had no effect on drug use in the state prison system<\/a>. In fact, the rate of positive random drug test results nearly doubled, reversing a previous trend of three years of reduced drug use in New Mexico\u2019s prisons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>In the first half of 2022, Missouri prisons averaged just over 34 overdoses per month. The Missouri Department of Corrections began mail scanning on July 1, 2022; in the following months, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250603200302\/https:\/\/www.riverfronttimes.com\/news\/overdoses-rise-in-missouri-prisons-despite-strict-new-mail-policy-38708405\">overdoses rose to 39 per month on average.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>These are only three of many examples of how mail scanning is ineffective and detrimental to the presence of contraband in the first place.&nbsp;In reality, contraband also often enters correctional facilities through correctional staff. After conducting a thorough review of news reports of contraband entering jails across the country in 2018, the Prison Policy Initiative concluded that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2018\/12\/06\/jail-contraband\/#:~:text=I%20reviewed%20news%20stories%20of,local%20jail%20comes%20through%20staff.\">\u201calmost all contraband introduced to any local jail comes through staff.\u201d<\/a> It\u2019s not unreasonable to draw similar conclusions regarding prisons.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><strong>Mail scanning creates low-quality copies that are blurry and consistently delayed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>The mail scanning technology third parties and correctional facilities employ often produces copies that are blurry, have missing pages and cut-off words, or are otherwise illegible. Part of this can be attributed to converting colored mail into black-and-white copies, which can deteriorate the image quality. In states with mail scanning policies, people who are incarcerated report that scanned photographs can render faces unrecognizable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail scanning procedures themselves also cause delays. The extra steps add room for mistakes like misdelivery and accidental disposal, both of which have been reported in states with mail scanning policies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><strong>Mail scanning increases costs for loved ones while major telecommunication companies profit.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail scanning imposes additional, unnecessary financial burdens on loved ones. For instance, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vera.org\/news\/the-fcc-is-capping-outrageous-prison-phone-rates-but-companies-are-still-price-gouging\">Florida<\/a>, where mail scanning was introduced in 2022, people who are incarcerated need to pay per page to have their mail printed. It costs $0.10 per page to print in black and white and $1.00 per page to print in color. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vera.org\/news\/the-fcc-is-capping-outrageous-prison-phone-rates-but-companies-are-still-price-gouging\">North Carolina<\/a>, family and friends sending mail to their loved ones in prison need to download an app to send letters or cards for scanning and pay a fee to have these documents sent.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mail scanning creates inevitable restrictions, delays, and overall loss of sentimental value. These downsides push people who are incarcerated and their loved ones to rely on other, more expensive forms of communication. As a result, they face increased costs when they switch to email, phone calls, or video visits. For instance, there is a cost associated with sending email to or from prison, making prisons one of the only place in the world where people have to pay for email. Email and other modes of communication are typically controlled by the same <a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/justice\/physical-mail-could-be-eliminated-at-federal-prisons\/\">major telecommunication companies<\/a> that control mail scanning. These major companies profit off of the increased financial burdens families face.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><strong>Mail scanning authorizes unnecessary surveillance and violates privacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>When personal letters are in the hands of a third-party company, people who are incarcerated and their loved ones are at risk of having their personal information and data compromised. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/prison-mail-surveillance-company-keeps-tabs-on-those-on-the-outside-too\/\">Smart Communications privately advertised its mail scanning program, MailGuard, to the Virginia Department of Corrections as a tool to identify \u201cgang members.\u201d<\/a> This service gives investigators access to information such as the mail sender\u2019s cell phone number, GPS location, email address, physical address, IP Address, and any related accounts the sender may use. Smart Communications\u2019 contract proposal stated that MailGuard would create a searchable database that could track everything each person who is incarcerated has sent and received. With the company\u2019s policy of destroying physical copies after 30 days and retaining all digital copies for seven years, mail scanning creates significant privacy concerns for anyone sending or receiving mail. Mail scanning surveils and profiles people on both sides of prison walls, diminishing the rights and privacy of people who are incarcerated and their loved ones.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>This added surveillance may make people sending mail feel uncomfortable, which may lead to less frequent or less robust communication between people in prison and their outside support system. This in turn can lead to poor mental health and worse reentry outcomes for people who are incarcerated.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><strong>Mail scanning strips people who are incarcerated of a valuable, physical connection to home and stands in the way of rehabilitation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Other than in-person visits, mail is the only semblance of a tangible connection to home in the highly isolating environment of a prison. It is a significant lifeline and one of the most important means to maintain connections to loved ones. People often read and reread their mail to be reminded of their support system. To digitize physical mail is to eliminate the art, beauty, sentimentality, emotion, texture, and even scent unique to physical correspondence. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/why-mail-service-so-important-people-prison\">As one mother stated<\/a>, \u201cMy children\u2019s lives have become tangible with every piece of mail that I have received. We were able to touch, hug, kiss, and cry together through letters\u2026 One letter feels as if it could fill one thousand days.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>People who are incarcerated and their loved ones know that staying connected is an essential, beneficial form of support. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2021\/12\/21\/family_contact\/#:~:text=The%20research%20is%20clear%3A%20visitation,recidivism%2C%20and%20improvement%20in%20school\">Decades of academic research support this insight<\/a> with robust evidence that visits, mail, phone, and other forms of family contact have meaningful, positive impacts on people who are incarcerated: better health, better behavior, and better post-release outcomes, including being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2021\/12\/21\/family_contact\/#:~:text=The%20research%20is%20clear%3A%20visitation,recidivism%2C%20and%20improvement%20in%20school\">less likely to return to prison<\/a> after release.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Mail is often the most commonly used, affordable, and accessible form of communication for people who are incarcerated and their loved ones. Replacing this vital form of family contact with mail scanning only exacerbates the dehumanization people who are incarcerated already experience.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Most people in prison will someday return home to their communities. Making it harder for them to stay connected to their support systems does not make anyone safer, inside and outside of prison.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-heading mt-10 lg:mt-15 -mb-3\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-next\"><strong>WHAT\u2019S NEXT?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) began using mail scanning in facilities statewide in September 2025, despite lacking evidence to show that mail scanning will solve the alleged problem of contraband. In August 2025, the Governor signed Public Act 104-0412 to provide data on what contraband is entering IDOC facilities and how it is getting into prisons. Before the new law could go into effect or yield any findings, the IDOC rolled out the new mail scanning process, restricting a critical form of connection and bypassing the data-driven approach that lawmakers intended.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-heading mt-10 lg:mt-15 -mb-3\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-want-to-learn-more\"><strong>WANT TO LEARN MORE?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Prison Policy Initiative has conducted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2022\/11\/17\/mail-scanning\/\">extensive research<\/a> into the practice and impact of mail scanning. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/prison-mail-surveillance-company-keeps-tabs-on-those-on-the-outside-too\/\">investigation<\/a>, alongside the work of other notable organizations like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vera.org\/news\/the-fcc-is-capping-outrageous-prison-phone-rates-but-companies-are-still-price-gouging\">Vera<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/why-mail-service-so-important-people-prison\">Brennan Center for Justice<\/a>, offers valuable findings as well. Mail scanning is just one of the ways prisons restrict and monetize communication between people who are incarcerated and their loved ones &#8211; dig into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/communications.html\">PPI\u2019s research and analysis of this phenomenon<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><em>Linked Sources:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Brown, M., &amp; Dayen, D. (2021, February 24). <em>Physical mail could be eliminated at Federal Prisons<\/em>. The American Prospect. <a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/justice\/physical-mail-could-be-eliminated-at-federal-prisons\/&nbsp;\">https:\/\/prospect.org\/justice\/physical-mail-could-be-eliminated-at-federal-prisons\/&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Dholakia, N. (2024, September 4). <em>The FCC Is Capping Outrageous Prison Phone Rates, but Companies Are Still Price Gouging<\/em>. Vera Institute of Justice. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vera.org\/news\/the-fcc-is-capping-outrageous-prison-phone-rates-but-companies-are-still-price-gouging&nbsp;\">https:\/\/www.vera.org\/news\/the-fcc-is-capping-outrageous-prison-phone-rates-but-companies-are-still-price-gouging&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Gordon, A. (2021, March 24). <em>Prison Mail Surveillance Company keeps tabs on those on the outside, too<\/em>. VICE. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/prison-mail-surveillance-company-keeps-tabs-on-those-on-the-outside-too\/&nbsp;\">https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/prison-mail-surveillance-company-keeps-tabs-on-those-on-the-outside-too\/&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Hoopes, Z. (2023, April 21). Despite 5 years of mail scanning to keep drugs from Pa. Prisons, problems remain. Pennlive. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/news\/2023\/04\/nearly-5-years-after-inmate-mail-scanning-policy-took-effect-pa-prison-drug-problem-remains.html&nbsp;&nbsp;\">https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/news\/2023\/04\/nearly-5-years-after-inmate-mail-scanning-policy-took-effect-pa-prison-drug-problem-remains.html&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Krull, R. (2022, October 17). <em>Overdoses rise in Missouri prisons despite strict new mail policy<\/em>. Riverfront Times. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverfronttimes.com\/news\/overdoses-rise-in-missouri-prisons-despite-strict-new-mail-policy-38708405&nbsp;\">https:\/\/www.riverfronttimes.com\/news\/overdoses-rise-in-missouri-prisons-despite-strict-new-mail-policy-38708405&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Nahra, A., &amp; Arzy, L. (2020, September 29). Why mail service is so important to people in prison. Brennan Center for Justice. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/why-mail-service-so-important-people-prison\">https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/why-mail-service-so-important-people-prison<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Renaud, J. (2018, December 6). <em>Who\u2019s really bringing contraband into jails? our 2018 survey confirms it\u2019s staff, not visitors<\/em>. Prison Policy Initiative. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2018\/12\/06\/jail-contraband\/#:~:text=I%20reviewed%20news%20stories%20of,local%20jail%20comes%20through%20staff\">https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2018\/12\/06\/jail-contraband\/#:~:text=I%20reviewed%20news%20stories%20of,local%20jail%20comes%20through%20staff<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Wang, L. (2021, December 21). <em>Research roundup: The positive impacts of family contact for incarcerated people and their families<\/em>. Prison Policy Initiative. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2021\/12\/21\/family_contact\/#:~:text=The%20research%20is%20clear%3A%20visitation,recidivism%2C%20and%20improvement%20in%20school\">https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2021\/12\/21\/family_contact\/#:~:text=The%20research%20is%20clear%3A%20visitation,recidivism%2C%20and%20improvement%20in%20school<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p>Wang, L. (2022, November 17). <em>Mail scanning: A harsh and exploitative new trend in prisons<\/em>. Prison Policy Initiative. https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2022\/11\/17\/mail-scanning\/&nbsp;Widra, E. (2024, January 30). <em>Addicted to punishment: Jails and prisons punish drug use far more than they treat it<\/em>. Prison Policy Initiative. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2024\/01\/30\/punishing-drug-use\/\">https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2024\/01\/30\/punishing-drug-use\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><section class=\"px-mobile xl:px-desktop wp-core-paragraph my-6 first:mt-12 first:lg:mt-25 last:lg:mb-25\"><div class=\"mx-auto max-w-200 text-black-brand\/80\">\n<p><em>This explainer was updated on October 31, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mail scanning programs scan the original, physical mail sent to people who are incarcerated and reproduce it into digital copies. These inferior digital copies are then transferred to individual tablets, shared kiosks, or reprinted on paper. Mail scanning occurs within correctional facilities or under the control of a third-party provider. The original copies are typically destroyed, and the people in prison never get to see or hold the original letter.\u00a0\u00a0People who are incarcerated rely on postal mail to receive letters from people in their support system, drawings from their children, photos of loved ones, love letters from spouses, birthday or holiday cards, religious materials from faith leaders, coursework from professors, books, magazines, and newsletters.\u00a0<br \/>\nBecause most people are incarcerated far from home, mail is often the least expensive and most-used way for them to stay in touch with their loved ones. Mail scanning replaces this vital form of family contact with a needlessly complicated process that imposes more costs on families and fails to make prisons or communities any safer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[15],"custom-author":[],"class_list":["post-6136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-know-more","tag-prison-conditions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mail Scanning - Restore Justice Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mail Scanning\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mail scanning programs scan the original, physical mail sent to people who are incarcerated and reproduce it into digital copies. These inferior digital copies are then transferred to individual tablets, shared kiosks, or reprinted on paper. Mail scanning occurs within correctional facilities or under the control of a third-party provider. The original copies are typically destroyed, and the people in prison never get to see or hold the original letter.\u00a0\u00a0People who are incarcerated rely on postal mail to receive letters from people in their support system, drawings from their children, photos of loved ones, love letters from spouses, birthday or holiday cards, religious materials from faith leaders, coursework from professors, books, magazines, and newsletters.\u00a0 Because most people are incarcerated far from home, mail is often the least expensive and most-used way for them to stay in touch with their loved ones. Mail scanning replaces this vital form of family contact with a needlessly complicated process that imposes more costs on families and fails to make prisons or communities any safer.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Restore Justice Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-11T17:07:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-31T21:42:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Pontiac4-e1715278725320.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"875\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lizzie Lewandowski\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lizzie Lewandowski\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/\",\"name\":\"Mail Scanning - Restore Justice Foundation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-11T17:07:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-31T21:42:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/#\/schema\/person\/d0fe1ba36eefa02bab192efaf235fe5f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mail Scanning\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/\",\"name\":\"Restore Justice Foundation\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/#\/schema\/person\/d0fe1ba36eefa02bab192efaf235fe5f\",\"name\":\"Lizzie Lewandowski\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc48c4846dc9cf31dfed818b7fc86abe56591d789038bb2825a9103aa4d1f30d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc48c4846dc9cf31dfed818b7fc86abe56591d789038bb2825a9103aa4d1f30d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lizzie Lewandowski\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mail Scanning - Restore Justice Foundation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/mail-scanning\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mail Scanning","og_description":"Mail scanning programs scan the original, physical mail sent to people who are incarcerated and reproduce it into digital copies. 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