Protecting the Fundamental Right to Mail in Prison

By Alia Nahra & Leily Arzy

We face a looming crisis at the U.S. Postal Service. While it affects us all, a reduction in postal service would prove especially devastating for those behind bars, many of whom depend on mail to contact their loved ones and legal counsel. 

President Trump has admitted publicly that his opposition to funding the USPS is intended to prevent mail-in voting during the general election. This past June, he appointed Louis DeJoy as postmaster general. Since assuming his role, DeJoy has made numerous changes, such as removing mail sorting machines and mailboxes, shuffling top personnel, and eliminating overtime for postal workers. The intense backlash may — or may not — have altered these plans. 

With increasingly limited means of communication for those behind bars due to the pandemic, mail remains critically important to incarcerated people and their families. In response to Covid-19, many correctional facilities have limited in-person visits. As of August 18, the federal government and 16 states have suspended all forms of visitation in their correctional facilities. Twenty-seven states have suspended all visitation except for legal visits, and nine states allow visitation only with certain precautions in place. 

Read the full article as it originally appeared in The Brennan Center for Justice.