The Essex County Sheriff’s Department is no longer be accepting personal mail for prisoners.
Tomorrow’s switch to an alternative digital delivery is an attempt to eliminate contraband and improve the safety of those inspecting and sorting mail. The change applies only to personal and nonprivileged mail. Privileged and legal correspondence, as well as some specific items such as money orders and publications sent directly from a publisher or authorized retailer, will still be accepted through the postal service.
“Prisons and jails across the country are all dealing with the dangers of drugs making their way to their secure facilities through the mail. It poses a significant health risk to both our employees and to our incarcerated population,” Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger said.
The program is run by Securus Technologies, which will receive, open and scan mail into digital files. The Sheriff’s Department will print the files and distribute to recipients.