Menard’s Mail-Scan Pilot: What It Means If Your Loved One Is Placed on Mail Scan

Menard Correctional Center is currently running a pilot mail-scan program. Under this pilot, mail is photocopied - including a copy of the envelope showing the sending and return addresses and the postmark date - and then the copied mail is packaged for distribution to the individual in custody using their name, number, and current cell location.

At Menard, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) can recommend that a specific individual in custody be put on the mail scan process or on digital mail delivery (if applicable) for all non-privileged mail. The stated purpose is security - preventing contraband from entering the facility - and the recommendation is made at the CAO’s discretion for safety and security reasons.

• ✓ Evidence the individual in custody misused or attempted to misuse the mail system to introduce contraband into the facility
• ✓ Possession of contraband that is likely to have been introduced through the mail system

For Menard mail rules, non-privileged mail is not sealed from inspection. All incoming non-privileged mail is opened and inspected for contraband before it’s delivered.

If your loved one is put on the mail scan process, the CAO’s recommendation can mean their non-privileged mail is handled through scanning/photocopying, or through digital mail delivery where applicable, before it reaches them. The point of the process is the same: non-privileged mail is screened prior to delivery as a contraband-prevention measure.

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• ✓ Keep your letters and enclosures straightforward so nothing looks like an attempt to use the mail system to introduce contraband
• ✓ Don’t include anything that could be treated as contraband or raise suspicion that mail is being misused
• ✓ If you’re sending publications (books, periodicals, catalogs), make sure they come directly from the publisher or from an approved visitor
• ✓ Don’t send “other packages” (non-publication items) unless they’ve been approved by the facility CAO, and remember that all packages are opened and searched before delivery

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• ✓ Is my loved one currently on the mail scan process at Menard?
• ✓ For their non-privileged mail, is delivery handled as scanned/photocopied mail or through digital mail delivery (if applicable)?
• ✓ Was the recommendation made by the facility CAO?
• ✓ What is the process to request a CAO review of the mail-scan status?

Because placement is tied to a CAO recommendation for Menard and this is a Menard-specific pilot, the most useful next step is usually getting clear answers on your loved one’s current status and how their non-privileged mail will be delivered going forward. Once you know whether they’re on mail scan (or digital delivery where applicable), you can tailor what you send - especially publications and any package requests that require CAO approval.