Under emergency rule, Illinois prisons begin withholding physical mail
[September 11, 2025]
By Beth Hundsdorfer
The Illinois Department of Corrections has enacted an emergency rule
change to prevent contraband from entering its prisons through letters
and books sent to people in prison.
Under the rule that went into effect Aug. 14, IDOC will electronically
scan mail and provide a digital copy or paper copy to an incarcerated
person. The rule also specifies that books, magazines and other
publications can only come through the prison’s mailroom from the
publisher.
After a series of incidents last fall that left dozens of correctional
personnel hospitalized after exposure to substances or overdoses in the
prison population, IDOC introduced the rule under pressure from
Republicans and the prison workers’ union.
Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said the rule has been long awaited after
instances of Bibles and letters from fake law firms laced with drugs.
“I’m a former prosecutor. I represent these men and women who work at
DOC, who work every day to protect us. I care about them,” Rose said.
‘Must act now’
The union that represents IDOC employees, the Illinois Association of
Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, released a
report in September that stated “IDOC must act now to stop drug use –
including the rapidly increasing use of synthetic drugs and smoking of
wasp spray – in its system and keep its employees and incarcerated
residents safe.”
Exposures were reported at Graham, Shawnee, Vienna, Hill, Menard and
Pinckneyville correctional centers last year, causing IDOC to
temporarily suspend mail processing services within correctional
facilities.
The dangers of handling individuals under the influence of drugs and
accidental drug exposures also resulted in union members taking to the
picket lines to bring attention to their safety concerns. IDOC signed a
contract with a vendor that does mail scanning within weeks.
“Our union has called for mail-scanning as a means of reducing the flow
of harmful substances and other illicit contraband into state prisons.
IDOC has worked with us toward this goal, and for the security of state
facilities and the well-being of AFSCME members, we’re glad it’s moving
forward,” union spokesperson Anders Lindall said in an emailed
statement.
In November, Rose toured Lawrenceville Correctional Center. During the
tour, he said he smelled smoke on one of the tiers.
“The IDOC must immediately amend its rules to incorporate amended policy
and procedure, and failure to adopt on an emergency basis will
compromise the integrity of safety and security,” according to IDOC’s
notice of emergency amendments filed with Joint Committee on
Administrative Rules.
Emergency rules
IDOC needed to implement the rules on an emergency basis, the amendment
stated, to provide for the “safety and security of committed persons,
staff, and the public.”
IDOC implemented the rule on an emergency basis, although it’s still
subject to review by the legislative Joint Committee on Administrative
Rules. Emergency rules can remain in place for up to 150 days, but if
the department wants to make the rule permanent, they must submit them
separately. JCAR can then decide whether to issue an objection.
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Pinckneyville Correctional Center is pictured in southern Illinois.
(Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Campbell)
But critics of the rule say there is no emergency.
“There’s no dispute that this is a problem, that even if anyone is
impacted by illegal drugs in prisons, we have a problem. That is
absolutely the case,” said Jennifer Vollen-Katz, executive director of
the John Howard Association, a prison oversight group. “The question is,
why is IDOC now saying it’s an emergency, right? What has changed? We
have not seen any evidence, data or information that indicates what has
changed and why this is now being considered an emergency.”
Data collection law
Last month, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law that requires data collection
of contraband seized in prisons. Vollen-Katz questioned why the
emergency rule was proposed before the data was seen.
“We have not seen any evidence, data or information that indicates what
has changed and why this is now being considered an emergency,” Vollen-Katz
said.
The importance of mail to people who are incarcerated cannot be
underestimated, according to Laurie Jo Reynolds, a long-time advocate
for the incarcerated.
“Letters and photos aren’t just words and images — they are tangible,
meaningful objects. People recognize their mother’s stationery and know
their kid wrote on and folded that exact piece of paper. People in
custody read letters again and again to fight despair and to stay
focused on rebuilding their lives and reuniting with their loved ones.
Eliminating paper mail would take away a source of comfort, pride, and
motivation,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds questioned whether scanning mail would make prisons safer for
those who live and work there.
“We are concerned that instead of finding the real source of contraband,
the state is prepared to pay private vendors to scan letters, expand
bureaucracy for “privileged” mail, and require people to file grievances
just to keep a birthday card. This won’t make prisons safer, just
lonelier,” she said.
James Orr, who was formerly incarcerated, said a copy or a digital copy
isn’t the same as holding the same piece of paper from a loved one.
“My family sent me pictures with letters, birthday cards, drawings. My
grandkids sent me mail. They would make art that was in the shape of an
envelope. When I was feeling down and the officer gave me mail, it
brightened up my outlook and my day,” Orr said. “I still have some of
the letters they sent. Touching the real thing is a big difference. You
can feel your family there.”
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