BOP SCAN Mail Act

This bill would make the federal prison system create and carry out a plan to stop fentanyl and other synthetic drugs from getting into prisons through the mail. It centers on mail scanning and other tools, with a goal of scanning all mail sent to federal prisons.

Lawmakers note that mail is a main way drugs get smuggled into prisons, drug overdoses have risen sharply, and a past digital mail scanning pilot at two prisons showed this approach can help. Moving mail handling offsite could also ease staff shortages.

• Who is affected: People in federal prisons, their families who send mail, and prison staff.
• What changes:
  • Within 180 days of becoming law, the Bureau of Prisons must study scanning tools and what other agencies use.
  • Within 90 days after that study, it must share a plan to protect staff and inmates and to reach 100% mail scanning at all federal prisons.
  • Each inmate should get a digital copy of their mail within 24 hours of it being received at the prison or an approved offsite center, and the original within 30 days if it is free of drugs; deliveries must be tracked.
  • Legal mail must be handled with a process that confirms the sender and protects attorney–client privacy.
  • The plan should prioritize high‑security and large facilities, include staff training and equipment upkeep, set a budget for 2025–2027, and include oversight of any scanning contractor.
• When:
  • The full plan must be in place within 3 years after it is submitted, if funds are provided, with yearly progress reports on how well it works and how much contraband is found.