Inmates at the Strafford County Jail will no longer be able to receive personal letters in the mail. The policy change comes just days after multiple inmates overdosed inside the jail.
The jail's Captain of Security, Chris Brackett, says the new policy was already planned to be rolled out later this summer. But after five inmates overdosed last week, the effort to keep contraband from entering the jail was put into immediate effect.
“My primary concern is that I want to keep those that are incarcerated in our facility safe, I want to keep my staff safe, and I believe that taking this action does certainly achieve part of that goal.”
Inmates will still be able to receive legal correspondence. They can also send and receive personal emails at a cost of 60 cents per message.
The move comes as state prisons have implemented similar policies in an effort to keep illegal drugs out of their facilities. One of those policies drew a legal challenge from the New Hampshire branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, who is also considering legal action in this case.
