NBC5 In Depth: New York State prison’s legal mail scanners are working one year since they were installed
However, the union that represents corrections officers says the implementation has come with new challenges
YEAR’S CLEAN UP DAY. HI EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR NBC. I’M LAUREN GRANADA. IT’S BEEN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR SINCE NEW YORK STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IMPLEMENTED LEGAL MAIL SCANNERS IN TEN OF ITS FACILITIES, INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO IN THE NORTH COUNTRY. I SAT DOWN WITH JOHN ROBERTS, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTHERN REGION OF SCOBA. THAT’S THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS CORRECTIONS OFFICERS TO SEE HOW IT’S BEEN GOING. JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON IN-DEPTH TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE APPRECIATE IT. SO ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MAIL SCANNERS WERE IMPLEMENTED IN SEVERAL NEW YORK STATE PRISONS. TALK TO ME ABOUT WHERE THE UNION STANDS AT THIS POINT AND HOW THOSE MAIL SCANNERS HAVE BEEN WORKING. WE’RE SUPPORTIVE TO PUT ANY MORE TOOLS IN OUR TOOL CHEST PER SAY. THE MALE SCANNERS HAVE BEEN GREAT. LEGAL MAIL WAS A WORKAROUND. A LOT OF THE INCARCERATED WERE USING LEGAL MAIL FOR MANY LEGAL REASONS. IS PRIVATE. WITH NICE CORRECTIONAL STAFF DOESN’T GO THROUGH LEGAL MAIL. WE JUST SCAN IT TO MAKE SURE THERE’S NOTHING IN IT HIDDEN IN IT. AND OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, IT BECAME APPARENT THEY WERE SATURATING THE PAPERWORK OR MANIPULATING THE SEAMS AND THE MANILA ENVELOPES, OR SENDING IN FAKE LEGAL MAIL FROM A LAW FIRM THAT MAY BE AN ACTUAL LAW FIRM, BUT YOU CAN SEARCH THE INTERNET, MAKE A STAMP ONLINE FOR A COUPLE DOLLARS, AND SENDING IN THINGS LABELED LEGAL MAIL TO AN INMATE THAT WAS PAPER LACED WITH DRUGS THAT MAY LOOK LIKE LEGAL MAIL AND, YOU KNOW, PAGE TEN THROUGH 15TH MAY BE SATURATED. AND HE WOULD KNOW THAT WAITING FOR THAT MAIL TO COME IN. AND THE PROBLEM WITH THOSE DRUGS IS IT’S NOT ACTUAL DRUGS, IT’S COMPOUNDS, IT’S SYNTHETIC THINGS. AND YOU DON’T KNOW THE REACTION. THIS ISN’T JUST, OH, WE’RE HAVING MARIJUANA ISSUES IN THE FACILITIES AND PEOPLE ARE SMUGGLING DRUGS. IT’S CAUSING PANIC ATTACKS, HYSTERIA, ASSAULTS, PSYCHOTIC RAGES, PEOPLE BEING NARCAN. NARCAN WASN’T A THING IN THE PRISON SYSTEM MANY YEARS AGO. IT WASN’T NEEDED. IT WASN’T NECESSARY. NOW YOU HAVE INCARCERATED, FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, STROKING OUT, DYING, CAUSING STAFF TO BE SICK AS WELL. IT’S. IT’S BECOMING AND BECAME. SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASONS WE HAD LAST FEBRUARY HAPPENED. THE MAIL SCANNERS HAVE BEEN GREAT IN INTERCEPTING THINGS. IT HAS SLOWED DOWN. IT SEEMS LIKE AT THE MAJORITY OF THE FACILITIES I’VE SPOKEN TO PEOPLE. BUT WITH THAT COMES OTHER AVENUES OF SMUGGLING IN DRUGS, DRONES HAVE BECOME MORE OF A PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S THE WAY THAT THEY’RE BEING MORE TRACKED OR LOOKED FOR, OR TECHNOLOGY THAT’S BEEN CREATED, OR IF IT’S SOMETHING THAT HAS NOW YOU FIX ONE, YOU FIX ONE CHANNEL OF DRUGS, THEY MOVE ON TO ANOTHER. BECAUSE IF THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY, UNFORTUNATELY. AND THE DRUG TRADE IN THE PRISON SYSTEM HAS ALWAYS AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BE A VERY LUCRATIVE BUSINESS FOR THESE PEOPLE. AND WE JUST HAVE TO TRY TO STAY A STEP AHEAD OF THEM. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ANYMORE WITH THIS SYNTHETIC OPIOID TYPE SUBSTANCE. NOW, YOU MENTIONED THE DRONES. HOW ELSE OR WHAT OTHER CHALLENGES OUR CORRECTIONS OFFICERS FACED WITH CONTRABAND BEING SNUCK INTO THESE PRISONS? AND WHAT OTHER CASES HAVE WE SEEN WHERE IT’S NOT A TYPICAL WAY THAT SOMEONE MIGHT TRY TO SNEAK SOMETHING IN? VISITS ARE A HUGE NUMBER. THE BODY SCANNERS, NOW THAT THEY ARE MANDATORY FOR THE MOST PART, SOME PEOPLE HAVE WORKAROUNDS ON THOSE. FOR OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT MEN OR WOMEN, CHILDREN. UNFORTUNATELY, NOW KIDS ARE MULES, DRUG MULES, WHICH IS DISGUSTING. BUT LIKE I SAID, THERE’S A WAY THIS IS A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS. SOME PEOPLE DO IT NOT EVEN BY NECESSITY, THEY MAY BE THREATENED. THEIR FAMILY MEMBER MAY BE THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE INSIDE THE JAIL OR PROTECTION FOR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO BRING IN DRUGS INTO. THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW WHO THEY’RE BRINGING THEM TO. THEY JUST KNOW I HAVE TO VISIT SO AND SO TOMORROW AT THE FACILITY AND GIVE THEM THIS PAPER. THEY SMUGGLE IT INSIDE A BAG OF CHIPS. YOU KNOW, THE VISIT ROOM ISN’T LIKE YOU SEE ON TV. IT’S AN OPEN JUST LIKE WE’RE SITTING HERE. THERE IS NO GLASS NECESSARILY IN BETWEEN THEM. VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE NON-CONTACT VISITS FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION. YOU SAID IT YOURSELF. IT’S GOING TO COME IN SOME WAY OR THERE WILL BE ATTEMPTS SOME WAY. BUT WITH THESE MAIL SCANNERS IMPLEMENTED, WHAT’S THE FEEDBACK BEEN FROM CORRECTIONS OFFICERS? DO THEY FEEL SAFER? HAS IT MADE THEIR JOBS BETTER OR EASIER FOR THEM? I WANT TO SAY THAT IT MAKES THEM FEEL BETTER AS A WHOLE. IT’S IT HELPS. DEFINITELY HELPS. I’LL GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. USING THE BODY SCANNERS AS WELL. IT’S BEEN A VERY USEFUL TOOL. BUT THEN YOU READ IN THE NEWS THAT NOW THE ADVOCACY GROUPS ARE SAYING WE’RE DENYING VISITS BECAUSE OF — AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I’M PRETTY SURE I HAVEN’T SEEN THE SCANS PERSONALLY. I’VE WENT THROUGH THE BODY SCANNER PERSONALLY THROUGH THE FACILITY BECAUSE I’M CONSIDERED A VISITOR AT SOME OF THE FACILITIES. WHEN I GO, IT TAKES A COUPLE MINUTES. IT’S NOT EVASIVE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WOMEN LOOK AT WOMEN SCANS, MEN LOOK AT MEN’S SCANS. SO I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO SEE THEM. BUT THE WOMEN TELL ME THAT THEY CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A — AND DRUGS, OR WHEN A MALE HAS DRUGS TAPED OR ON A STRING TO HIS APPENDIXES. OR YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE. IT’S NOT VERY HARD TO TELL, IS THERE SOMETIMES A MISTAKE? WE’RE NOT PERFECT, PROBABLY, BUT FOR, I WOULD SAY, A HIGH PERCENTAGE. THESE. EVERY TIME A VISITOR IS TURNED AROUND, IT RELIES ON DRUGS, NOT GETTING INTO THE FACILITY AND SOMEBODY POTENTIALLY GETTING HURT OR KILLED. AND WE TALKED ABOUT MORE RECENT NEWS AS WELL, WITH A LOT OF VIOLENCE BREAKING OUT IN OUR NEW YORK STATE PRISON SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CLINTON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND WHAT HAPPENED THERE. TELL ME HOW THE CONTRABAND AND THE ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES BEING SNUCK INTO THE PRISONS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS VIOLENCE THAT WE’VE BEEN SEEING RECENTLY. A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS WERE INTOXICATED INMATES, AND THAT’S A TERM WE USE NOW BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT NECESSARILY INTOXICATED LIKE US IN THE STREET. PEOPLE WOULD ASSUME YOU’RE DRINKING AND YOU’RE DRUNK. IT’S INTOXICANTS BECAUSE IT’S NOT NECESSARILY DRUGS. IT’S SOME SORT OF COMPOUND OR WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS AT THE TIME. WE MAY NEVER KNOW BECAUSE ONCE YOU TEST FOR A CERTAIN DRUG AND YOU FIND OUT THE COMPOUND, THEY’LL CHANGE IT. THAT WAY IT DOESN’T POP ON ANY TESTS. SOMETIMES YOU’LL FIND FENTANYL. IT’S NOT USUALLY FENTANYL. IT’S SOMETHING THAT ACTS LIKE A FENTANYL TYPE OPIOID. BUT IT IT’S ALL TIED TOGETHER BECAUSE SOME OF THESE LARGER SCALE INCIDENTS PROBABLY WERE GANG ACTIVITY, WHICH ALL REVOLVES AROUND THE DRUG TRADE OR WHO’S CONTROLLING SOMETHING IN THE FACILITY. THESE PRISONS ARE CITIES AMONG CITIES AND VILLAGES AND TOWNS. THEY HAVE DOCTORS, NURSES. THEY HAVE THEIR DRUG DEALERS. THEY HAVE EVERYTHING INSIDE THESE PEOPLE, INSIDE THESE FACILITIES. AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS IN THERE. IT’S JUST MAKES IT WORSE BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES IN THERE OR WE’RE DOING A GOOD JOB GETTING SOME OF THE REGULAR DRUGS OUT OF THE FACILITIES, AND THEY GO TO OTHER AVENUES WITH THINGS LIKE SCORPION SPRAY, SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NEVER INGEST IN THEIR BODY, BUT THEY GET A HIGH OFF OF IT. SOMETIMES THAT HIGH GOES INTO HEART ATTACKS, STROKES, FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, UNCONSCIOUSNESS. IT’S NOT SAFE FOR THEM, AND IT’S NOT SAFE FOR PEOPLE HAVING TO RESPOND AND TRY TO SAVE THEIR LIVES. WHAT IS HIS RESPONSE? AS CORRECTIONS OFFICERS CONTINUE TO FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY AND CONTINUE TO FACE VIOLENCE IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES AT WORK? UNFORTUNATELY, POLITICS PROBABLY AROUND 2018, MAYBE A LITTLE BEFORE IT BECAME CONTROLLING THE PRISON SYSTEM AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER STEPPED FOOT IN THERE OR ONLY LISTEN TO A CERTAIN SET OF PEOPLE, ARE CHANGING POLICIES AND RULES TO BENEFIT THEIR CONSTITUENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT AS A PERSON, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CHANGED A LOT OF LAWS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF TWO VERY UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE. BUT WE DIDN’T MAKE ANYTHING SAFER FOR ANYBODY. THE NUMBERS ARE STILL ALARMING. IF YOU GO BACK TO 2014, 2012 AND LOOK AT ASSAULTS ON INCARCERATED ASSAULTS ON STAFF, THEY’RE NOWHERE NEAR WHERE THEY ARE NOW. AND I’M NOT SAYING I HAVE THE FIX FOR EVERYTHING, BUT GETTING THE DRUGS LESS OUT OF THE FACILITIES IS A HUGE STEM OF THE PROBLEM, AND THAT THAT WOULD FIX A LOT OF ISSUES. AND THEN WHEN YOU FIX VIOLENCE, YOU FIX THE DRUGS OUT OF THE FACILITY. THEN THE PUBLIC COMES AND WANTS THIS JOB AGAIN. FOR ME, I HAD TO WAIT ALMOST A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AFTER APPLYING, TAKING A TEST AT PLATTSBURGH HIGH SCHOOL, WAITING TO GET CALLED FOR 9 TO 12 MONTHS, AND THEN TAKING A JOB FIVE HOURS FROM HOME FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS. NOW, PEOPLE GET TO START LOCALLY. IT’S A LOT EASIER PROCESS. TECHNOLOGY HAS GOTTEN BETTER TO DO VIRTUAL. IF THE JOB BECAME LESS VIOLENT, IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE APPEALING BECAUSE THIS JOB USED TO BE A SOUGHT AFTER JOB. MANY GENERATIONS OF FAMILY. MY FATHER IS RETIRED. CORRECTION LIEUTENANT. PEOPLE TOOK THIS JOB, WAITED TO GET THIS JOB, AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET BACK TO THAT. I STILL THINK IT’S PROVIDED A OKAY LIFE, GREAT LIFE FOR MY FAMILY, MY DAUGHTER. BUT IT’S IT’S A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT. BUT WE HAVE TO GET IT BACK WHERE THE RISKS OUTWEIGH THE REWARDS AND MAKE IT MORE ATTAINABLE. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE STAFF, YOU GET THE DRUGS OUT. IT MAKES IT SAFER FOR NOT ONLY THE STAFF, BUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE EVERY DAY. THE INCARCERATED, AND NO ONE WANTS TO GO THERE AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, OVERDOSING. IT JUST GETS OLD. YOU GET BURNT OUT. THE STRESS SINCE LAST YEAR, ALMOST NON-EXISTENT VACATION TIME. WE’RE WORKING ON THAT. ON CLINTON, HOPEFULLY STARTING HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT MONTH. ON GETTING VACATIONS. THEY HAVEN’T HAD THEIR SCHEDULED VACATIONS FOR WELL OVER A YEAR NOW, AND YOU DON’T GET THAT TIME TO UNPLUG. YOU WORK IN, YOU KNOW, 80 TO 100 HOURS, A PAY PERIOD WITH NO END IN SIGHT, YOUR DAYS OFF OR YOUR REGULAR DAYS OFF. FOR THE MOST PART. AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO ANY JOB, YOU NEED TO HAVE A VACATION DAYS, THEY GET THE VACATION HOURS. THEY’RE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM. AND THEN THAT’S STILL THE REST OF THE REGION IS STILL, YOU KNOW, WE’RE SHORT STAFFED ALL OVER. WE’RE NOT WORKING 80 HOURS A WEEK ANYMORE, 60 HOURS A WEEK AT MOST FACILITIES. BUT THE VACATION TIME IS, YOU KNOW, ALMOST NON-EXISTENT ON A SCHEDULED VACATION THROUGHOUT THE REGION. WHAT IS NICE SCOPE IS HOPING THE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS HOPE WITH DOCS AND WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE IN RESPONSE FROM THE STATE TO ALL OF THESE ISSUES RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE MORALE IS WHERE IT’S AT RIGHT NOW, MORALE IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. UNFORTUNATELY. YOU KNOW, WE HAD A HALT COMMITTEE AFTER THE THE WAY THAT MET DID A LOT OF GOOD WORK, SENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE. I DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING’S BEEN IMPLEMENTED OR CHANGED. AND THESE WERE NOT REPEAL HALL. GRANTED, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A HALT REPEALED. I’M REALISTIC. I’M VERY WELL IN NUMBERS IN THE POLITICS HERE. SO. BUT CAN WE MAKE IT A LITTLE SAFER? AND IF THEY DON’T WANT TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR THE PRISON STAFF, LET’S AT LEAST MAKE IT SAFER FOR THE INCARCERATED. IF THAT’S THE ONLY THING THAT WE CAN DO. AND YOU, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD TWO PEOPLE, THREE PEOPLE IN THE NORTH COUNTRY THAT WERE POTENTIALLY MURDERED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS AT THE HANDS OF INCARCERATED, NOT AT THE HANDS OF STAFF. AND THAT JUST DOESN’T FIT THE NARRATIVE F
NBC5 In Depth: New York State prison’s legal mail scanners are working one year since they were installed
However, the union that represents corrections officers says the implementation has come with new challenges
Updated: 2:50 PM EDT Apr 26, 2026
In April 2025, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) implemented legal mail scanners in 10 of its facilities, including at Franklin and Upstate Correctional facilities in the North Country. The Vice President of the Northern Region of NYSCOPCA, the union that represents corrections officers, John Roberts, spoke with NBC5 about this and recent violent incidents at New York State prisons on this NBC5’s latest In Depth show.
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. —
In April 2025, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) implemented legal mail scanners in 10 of its facilities, including at Franklin and Upstate Correctional facilities in the North Country.
The Vice President of the Northern Region of NYSCOPCA, the union that represents corrections officers, John Roberts, spoke with NBC5 about this and recent violent incidents at New York State prisons on this NBC5’s latest In Depth show.