The Butler County Prison is revamping its mail policy following the sickening of six prison workers.
Warden Joe DeMore says paper mail will no longer be coming into the prison other than legal mail. The prison typically receives 200 pieces of regular mail a day and between five and 10 pieces of legal mail.
A company by the name of Securus will overhaul the new mail system. They currently handle the prison’s phone system.
“Securus will take on that hazard of opening the mail,” DeMore explained to the Butler County board of commissioners during a meeting on Wednesday. “They will scan all the personal mail that the prison receives at their facility in Dallas, Texas and then upload it onto an electronic tablet. The inmate will then view the mail on the tablet.”
An inmate can rent a tablet at a cost of $5/month to view their mail and do other things, like listen to music or use educational apps. If an inmate can afford that cost, there will be community tablets that they can use.
This new mail system is being provided at no additional cost to the county. Securus is including the service through the county’s current contract with them.
In August, six prison workers got sick after coming into contact with a substance that officials believe was synthetic marijuana, also known as K2. DeMore says he can’t be sure it came in through the mail, but that’s the prison’s most vulnerable area.
A new ultra-sensitive contraband detention system has also been purchased for the prison, and HazMat suits are available for workers tasked with searching an inmate’s cell.
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