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Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, alongside West Virginia Senator Jim Justice, has introduced the Bureau of Prisons Security Check and Action against Narcotics in Mail Act (BOP SCAN Mail Act). This bipartisan bill aims to tackle the smuggling of synthetic drugs like fentanyl into federal prisons through inmate mail.
The legislation mandates the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to develop and implement a digital scanning system to detect these drugs. According to Fetterman's office, overdose deaths in federal prisons have surged by 600 percent over the past two decades, highlighting the urgent need for such measures.
The bill builds on a successful pilot program conducted at USP Canaan in Pennsylvania and FCI Beckley in West Virginia, which prevented drug exposure through mail by scanning it off-site and digitally distributing it to inmates. The original mail is given to inmates only if it's free from drugs. Senator Fetterman emphasized the importance of protecting correctional officers, staff, and inmates from the dangers of drug smuggling.
The bill is co-sponsored by several senators, including Marsha Blackburn, Shelley Moore Capito, Bill Cassidy, Ted Cruz, and Maggie Hassan. A companion bill has been introduced in the House by Representatives Don Bacon and Chris Pappas. If passed, the BOP would have 180 days to assess necessary technology and practices and would need to submit a full strategy to Congress within 90 days of the evaluation. The program would be fully implemented within three years, with annual progress reports to Congress.