CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 The Nueces County Sheriff’s Office has officially moved all personal inmate mail to a digital system; a change Sheriff J.C. Hooper tells KRIS 6 News has become necessary after jails across the nation continue to find drugs soaked into paper envelopes sent to inmates.<\/p>\n
Starting this week, all non-legal and non-commercial mail must be sent electronically through JailATM.com<\/a> or mailed to a processing center in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where it will be scanned and delivered digitally.<\/p>\n \u201cPaper mail coming into a jail is problematic because it can be tainted,\u201d Hooper said. \u201cWe were finding that a lot of the paper mail\u2026was testing positive for fentanyl and other drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead of sending letters directly to the jail, families must now mail them to:<\/p>\n Use JailATM.com or mail directly to this address:<\/p>\n Nueces County Jail Once received, the out-of-state mail vendor scans each item, checks it for prohibited content, and uploads it to the inmate\u2019s electronic tablet or kiosk. The physical letters are then destroyed.<\/p>\n Hooper emphasized that this is not a new process, but an address change caused by the jail switching tablet vendors.<\/p>\n \u201cThe process remains the same,\u201d Hooper said. \u201cEverything gets scanned and reviewed to make sure it\u2019s appropriate, and then it\u2019s delivered to the inmate when they log onto the tablet.\u201dDuring the transition, any mail accidentally sent to the old address will still be forwarded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not going to lose any mail during this transition period,\u201d\u00a0Hooper said.<\/p>\n The Nueces County Jail is among many facilities nationwide turning to digital mail systems as drug smuggling through paper increases.<\/p>\n Traditional screening methods can catch hidden objects but cannot detect chemicals like fentanyl or synthetic drugs absorbed into greeting cards, stationery, or even children\u2019s drawings.<\/p>\n Hooper said the jail uses its own scanner to check suspicious letters, and many were coming back positive for dangerous substances.<\/p>\n The digital shift was made possible by the jail\u2019s inmate tablets, which have been in use for about four years.<\/p>\n Hooper said they\u2019ve made a major impact on safety, behavior, and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n The tablets also include:<\/p>\n anger management coursesdrug awareness programsreligious and spiritual contentmental health and meditation toolsa law librarymessaging and video visitation features<\/p>\n Judges have even seen inmates bring certificates from completed courses to court.<\/p>\n Hooper said the tablets also reduce idle time and lower incidents of property damage because inmates now have something productive to do.<\/p>\n Families can also send commissary gift items through Keefe Commissary Network<\/a>, the jail\u2019s vendor.<\/p>\n Once released, former inmates can log back into their JailATM account and print copies of any digital mail they received.<\/p>\n The jail will still enforce normal mail rules.<\/p>\n Any scanned images containing the following could be rejected:<\/p>\n pornographic imagesdepictions of illegal activityself-defense, escape, or weapons instructionsdrugs or biohazardsthreats or violent messages<\/p>\n Hooper said the goal is simple; reduce contraband and keep inmates and staff safe.<\/p>\n For the latest local news updates, click here<\/a>, or download the KRIS 6 News App. <\/a>
Inmate ID: [Inmate Full Name]
P.O. Box 16120
Jonesboro, AR 72401<\/p>\n
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