Mail Scanning in the Dane County Jail

I will be voting no on resolution 2025 RES-056 for a contract with Smart Communications that would scan jail residents physical mail and provide them digital copies.

An essential part of re-integration into the community is maintaining strong bonds with your support network outside of the jail.

Mail scanning discourage personal communications, and dismisses vital tangible cues such as handwriting, texture, and other sensory connections. It could also lead to future digitization and monetization of communications which is a slippery slope in all parts of society.

If there is a serious data driven approach that shows that physical mail is causing drugs and contraband to be brought into the jail, that would change the conversation. However, what I have seen thus far has been mainly anecdotal.

I do realize the fiscal implications of this and I will help work towards a long term solution on this.