Take action now to protect a vital lifeline for people who are incarcerated and their loved ones!

Mail is a meaningful, tangible connection with the outside world for people who are incarcerated. It is often the most commonly used, affordable, and accessible form of communication.

Letters, cards, drawings, and photographs sent in the mail are cherished forms of communication for people who are incarcerated and their loved ones on the outside. Decades of research show that this kind of vital family contact meaningfully improves health, behavior, and reentry success.

There is no evidence that replacing physical mail with scanned or digitized alternatives will improve institutional safety. In fact, other states that implemented mail scanning to stop the alleged problem of drugs coming into prisons through the mail saw drug use and overdoses increase.

HB 3713 would protect the right of people who are incarcerated to receive their original, physical mail. The bill would also ensure that people who are incarcerated can stay connected with their support network without losing access due to disciplinary sanctions and would guarantee communication across all platforms free of charge.