LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A proposed change to how Nevada inmates get their mail is moving forward despite concerns from people who say letters from home can be a lifeline for those behind bars.
The Board of Prison Commissioners has given the Department of Corrections the go-ahead to pursue a new system that would replace physical letters with scanned copies.
Corrections officials say the goal is to keep drugs out of state prisons. In recent years, officials say substances have been smuggled through paper mail, contributing to overdoses and violence behind bars and creating safety concerns for correctional staff.
However, opponents argue taking away the original letters comes with a cost of its own. They say something as simple as holding a handwritten note, a card or a drawing from family can provide an important connection to life outside prison.
"When I was at [Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center], I was able to receive cards, drawings, and pictures from my family and friends. The ones that were dearest to me were the ones from my small children," said Melanie Oaks, who spent 14 years in prison. "Those drawings gave me a sense of being a part of my children's lives. I felt connected. My children felt connected. It helped us maintain our bond with each other."
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Advocates have also questioned the study the state used to evaluate drugs coming through mail and the accuracy of the screening process.
Laurie Beecher-Valenzuela, a volunteer with Return Strong, an organization that works with inmates and their families, said her son was written up for a piece of mail that allegedly contained an unauthorized substance.
"The mail was a Valentine's card and that card came from me," Beecher-Valenzuela said. "By the next day, numbers were growing. I believe it ultimately impacted 20 people. They all had the same write-up. They all lose their jobs and housing."
After Return Strong's executive director asked NDOC to review the write-ups, "all of them were found not guilty," Beecher-Valenzuela claimed.
"What's that saying? Staff and scanners get it wrong, and that is one incident," Beecher-Valenzuela said. "Should we multiply that rate and apply it to all facilities to decide how many times they're wrong?"
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Assembly Bill 121, which was signed into law in 2023, requires prisons to provide inmates with physical and original copies of their mail. NDOC director James Dzurenda said the law allows mail policy changes if NDOC conducts a study that finds providing inmates with original, physical copies of their mail presents a danger to inmates or staff, and if the Board of Prisons signs off on it.
Scans of the mail will be sent to tablets, which Dzurenda said every inmate has access to and won't cost families, friends, or inmates anything.
Legal mail will still be delivered to inmates after passing through drug detection scanners, which are being bought using state opioid settlement funds.
Dzurenda outlined some efforts NDOC is making to still allow inmates access to physical copies of things like photographs and drawings. The department is working on a contact with a third-party company that families will be able to use to print physical photos for their loved ones in prison. And, Dzurenda says, inmates will be allowed to keep drawings made by family members during in-person visits.
He added staff know this will take some getting used to.
"While there may be other unintended impacts of this new process, I am committed to addressing those unintended consequences as they arise to ensure that offenders and their families are not negatively impacted by those things," Dzurenda said. "But understanding those realities do not change the necessity of taking these steps and, in doing so, will undoubtedly save lives."
The proposal is not final. According to the board, the mail policy changes require approval from the Legislative Commission, and the next meeting is expected in December.