Corrections_Today_July_August_2019_Vol.84_No.4

Office of Correctional Health

example is only one of the many tools institutions can use to slow drug introduction at facilities. Other possible tools include: 1. Require that envelopes and paper be of standard weight and white in color. This will allow staff to detect if the mail has been tampered with and additionally show any discol- oration of the paper. 2. Allow only blue or black ink to be used. 3. Disallow additional material to be included in the envelope (i.e., glitter, stickers, crayons, fragrances, perfumes, etc.). 4. Prohibit card stock (greeting cards) even when white in

color, because card stock paper is often used to absorb the drugs sprayed on the paper. All greeting cards are copied and the inmates receive only the copy. handwritten or typed on the envelope. No labels allowed. 6. Limit the sheets of paper in each item of general correspondence. 7. Remove postage stamps during the mail screening process. Absent the practice of copying all incoming correspondence or making an electronic version of the corre- spondence available to the inmates, 5. Require that addresses be

departments of corrections will not be able to completely stop contraband coming through general correspon- dence. However, utilizing some or all of these tools will greatly reduce contraband concerns at facilities. Staff protection As noted, the increasing preva- lence of illicit synthetic drugs in correctional environments has raised legitimate concerns among staff as to the potential for unintentional exposure. For both those responding to emergencies and those conducting routine business (such as sorting the mail), it is critical to demonstrate sit- uational awareness and to understand the route of exposure and the effects of these drugs on the victim and first responders. It is also important to learn about the types of equipment that can protect staff from exposure. Correctional staff, like any other law enforcement personnel, are frequently first responders to dan- gerous situations that may include medical emergencies. Corrections professionals know that assessing the scene for safety is top priority. This is especially true when responding to a situation where synthetic drug use is suspected. In these situa- tions, there are likely to be multiple inmates under the influence who may be responding in unpredictable, ag- gressive or violent manners. Inmates under the influence may quickly become unresponsive and require immediate life-saving intervention

Mailroom staff at a correctional facility discover four strips of Suboxone under the flap of in a package addressed to an inmate. NC Dept of Public Safety via flickr (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode)

82 — July/August 2019 Corrections Today