Illinois state lawmakers are at odds over how to curb drugs like fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids from getting into state prisons, a problem that a labor union representing prison workers says has exploded over the last two years.
Republican State Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, has introduced a bill that would ban all incoming physical mail, and would instead require Illinois Department of Corrections facilities to have the mail electronically scanned for people in prisons to access digitally.
Friess’ district includes the Menard and Pickneyville Correctional Centers, and he said there have been multiple instances in recent months of drugs coming in through paper mail. Paper is often sprayed or soaked in illicit substances, such as synthetic drugs or even roach killer, then mailed into prisons where people can get high by smoking it. That’s contributed to a huge spike in prison drug overdoses nationwide in recent years.
“We’ve seen multiple instances where staff have reported serious symptoms after inmates have smoked their mail,” Friess said. “These events have put the facility on extended lockdowns, and landed hard-working correctional officers in emergency rooms.”
In a statement, Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson Naomi Puzzello said while the agency is “exploring additional options to enhance safety,” it has already intensified mail screening protocols, and is encouraging staff to use personal protective equipment when handling mail.
“These efforts are focused on improving safety while ensuring individuals in custody maintain essential communications and family connections,” Puzzello said.
Given the Democrats’ supermajority in the legislature, the bill – which only has three Republican co-sponsors – is unlikely to move forward this week, as lawmakers wrap up their fall legislative session. But Friess said for the people in his district, this issue hits close to home.
“These are dedicated individuals who deserve a safe working environment,” Friess said. “The people who work there are my neighbors and my friends, and I know their families.”
A September report from AFSCME Council 31, which represents around 10,000 IDOC workers, says legal mail is the predominant way drugs are getting into the facilities. People posing as lawyers take advantage of attorney-client privilege to send drug-soaked paper mail into prisons, knowing it can’t legally be opened by guards, the union says. The report also includes interviews from multiple correctional officers, who describe intercepting mail they say was covered in illicit substances, and then experiencing adverse symptoms, like raised blood pressure and nausea.
Last month, the group put on a statewide picket outside IDOC facilities, demanding the state remedy prison staffing shortages that have long plagued the system. Spokesperson Anders Lindall said with too little staff, and too many drugs trafficked inside the prisons, worker safety is at risk.
“[The drugs] are posing a threat to employee safety by exposure, but also by making incarcerated individuals behave more erratically and then, in many cases, more violently,” Lindall told WBEZ last month.
The group is in favor of the state moving toward a fully-electronic mail system. They also recommend moving all mail operations outside the security perimeter to minimize exposure risk, and expanding drug counseling programs.
But those moves are likely to rile advocates for incarcerated people, who’ve argued that banning paper mail poses legal and moral problems.
A coalition of Democratic lawmakers is urging the IDOC not to ban paper mail. In a letter sent to acting Director Latoya Hughes, the group says physical mail is an important way for those who are incarcerated to stay in contact with loved ones on the outside. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, is leading the charge.
“I have had family members and friends incarcerated over the years, and it’s already really challenging to stay connected,” Cassidy said. “You might want to read your granddaughter’s letter again, or look at your little girl’s school picture.”
Several states have opted for a fully-electronic mail system in recent years, including Pennsylvania and neighboring Missouri. According to 2022 data however, drug overdoses in prisons rose since the new system went into effect on July 1 of that year.
“The answer to drug abuse is treatment and programming to give you reasons to do something other than drugs, not more policing,” Cassidy said.
Mawa Iqbal covers state government and politics for WBEZ. Follow @mawa_iqbal
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