TDCJ moving to digital mail to try to reduce contraband entering jails

(KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, will soon transition to a digital mail platform.

The department said in an announcement Friday the goal of the transition is to reduce the number of contraband items coming into facilities throughout the state.

TDCJ will roll the program out in phases starting on July 17, according to the announcement. It will first launch at Polunsky, Coffield, Powledge, Plane, Garza West, Allred, Clements, Halbert, Robertson, and East Texas ISF units, with remaining sites to follow in the coming weeks.

Mail sent to inmates at these units will need to be sent to the digital mail processing center where it will be sorted, scanned, and uploaded to the inmate's secure tablet, TDCJ said. The messages and photos will be scanned in color and can be saved to the tablets permanently.

All U.S. mail being sent to inmates at the rollout units must be addressed to:

Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Inmate’s Full First and Last Name + TDCJ Number + Unit Name
PO Box 660400
Dallas, TX 75266-0400

Inmates who do not have a tablet will receive black and white printed copies of their mail. Legal mail, media mail, books, magazines, and other subscriptions will still be sent to the unit and provided to the inmate.

"While no single effort can completely stop the transmission of dangerous contraband, we feel that every measure we can take to improve health and safety in our facilities is worth adopting," TDCJ said in the announcement.

The department created a list of frequently asked questions to help provide more details on the new digital mail system. TDCJ said the process for outbound mail has not changed.