Prison Policy Initiative opposes mail scanning in Illinois

This month, the Prison Policy Initiative submitted public comment on a proposed rule change by the Illinois Department of Corrections to begin scanning all incoming mail, giving incarcerated people only electronic or print copies instead of the original, physical mail. This rule change would permanently deny incarcerated people an essential lifeline connecting them to their communities.

In September, the Department of Corrections appeared before the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to request an emergency rule change to start scanning mail, arguing it would reduce the flow of drugs and other contraband into prisons. Committee members were rightly unconvinced, but despite their objections, the department is now trying to make mail scanning permanent.

Although it’s becoming more common, mail scanning is not a reasonable or effective response to drug contraband in prison. There is no evidence that physical mail is a main avenue for drugs entering prisons; to the contrary, there is ample evidence that drugs and other contraband are often smuggled into facilities by staff. Notably, mail scanning has not decreased overdoses in states that have implemented it; for example:

• 30 people died from drugs the year after mail scanning was implemented in Missouri prisons. Meanwhile, overdoses have not only continued but they have increased.
• Positive tests for drugs in Pennsylvania’s prisons nearly tripled in the five years following the move to mail scanning.

It’s well understood that contact between incarcerated people and their families is essential for the well-being of people in prison, their children, and their communities. Letters in particular have been found to have important mental health benefits, especially for those in crisis. Stripping access to physical mail further imperils thousands of people incarcerated in Illinois, in no small part because the state prison system has repeatedly failed to fix its broken mental health care services.

Instead of cutting people off from a valuable lifeline, Illinois should join states like Nevada in recognizing the importance of physical mail in prisons. Ultimately, protecting the right of incarcerated people to receive letters from their loved ones is humane and makes Illinois safer in the long run.

People in Illinois may submit written comments on the proposed rulemaking during the 45-day First Notice Period, which ends on November 24, 2025. Submit written comments to DOC.ProposedRulemaking@illinois.gov. You can also share your written comments directly with JCAR staff at jcar@ilga.gov. For more details, read our full public comment here.