– MO Department of Corrections lifted restrictions on paper mail in prisons
– Move comes a year after initial ban on paper correspondence
– Objective: to combat drug smuggling efforts
– Advocacy groups claim this ban violated prisoners’ rights
– New policy implies scanning mail to digital format before distribution
Missouri’s Paper Mail Ban Revoked in Prisons
Following a year-long ban on paper mail in its prisons, the Missouri Department of Corrections has reversed this policy. This abrupt change was initially aimed at curbing drug smuggling efforts. However, following substantial backlash from prison rights advocacy groups alleging violations of prisoners’ rights, the department had little choice but to repeal.
Background: An Unpopular Policy
In a bid to prevent illicit substances from sneaking its way behind bars, the department made the controversial decision to limit all inmates’ correspondence to electronic format, insisting that this presented a sturdier barrier against drug smuggling. However, these efforts were not without controversy.
Reversing the Ban: The Power of Advocacy
The heated pushback given by prisoner rights advocacy groups, emphasizing on the infringement upon inmates’ rights to receive personal and legal mailings in paper format, served as major catalyst in the department’s walk-back on the paper mail regulation. Accepting the cries of violations against prisoners’ civil rights, the department found itself cornered and thus, had to reverse its policy.
New Policy: Scanning Mail
The new policy implies scanning all incoming paper mail to inmates and shifting it into a digital format before giving it to the recipients, thus allowing the mail surveillance to remain stringent, while respecting the rights of the inmates.
The Breezy Take
In an ideal world, every system would effortlessly merge efficiency with maintaining everyone’s rights. Unfortunately, reality often differs. Missouri’s mail ban controversy points out the delicate balance between security necessities and civil liberties. While the ban’s reversal may seem like a victory for human rights advocates, the larger discussion is still ongoing. Will scanning mail prove effective in curbing drug smuggling, or is this just another temporary ‘fix’? Only time will tell.
Remember, when the scales of justice leans heavy on one side, attempts to steer them towards balance is never a clean, easy process.
Original article: https://www.stlpr.org/law-order/2023-08-30/missouri-prisons-ban-friends-and-family-from-sending-books-to-prisoners