The sheriff’s office says a new digital mail system will soon be implemented for inmates at the Lake County Jail in Waukegan after recent attempts to smuggle drugs into the facility.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the Lake County Jail will implement a new digital mail delivery system for all inmate personal mail starting on May 27.
“This change is being made to enhance the safety of correctional staff, reduce the introduction of contraband, and maintain a secure facility,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.
The new system comes following incidents in recent months of personal mail being used in attempts to smuggle drugs into the jail.
“This is a growing issue faced by correctional facilities nationwide,” Covelli said.
The Lake County Jail has partnered with TextBehind to digitize all inmate personal mail, such as letters, photos and drawings.
Personal mail under the new system will now be sent to a centralized facility where it will be scanned and delivered electronically to inmates through their tablets.
The new address for sending mail will be:
Lake County Jail, IL
Inmate’s Full Name, Inmate Identifier
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Only correspondence such as letters, pictures and drawings is accepted.
Legal mail, money orders, checks and other official or privileged correspondence should not be sent to the Phoenix, MD address and must continue to be mailed directly to the jail in accordance with existing policies.
“This update aligns with best practices adopted by correctional institutions across the country to prevent contraband from entering secure environments,” Covelli said.