TDCJ DIGITAL MAIL RULE UPDATE
BY Jason Renard Walker
In July 2023 the Texas Department Of Criminal Justice created a rule, preventing organizations, businesses and the public from sending mail directly to Texas prisoners. By September 6 2023 it would be effective on all TDCJ units.
The rationale for this policy was to curb the amount of contraband entering Texas prisons, but the most common contraband found in Texas prisons(methamphetamines, cellphones, weapons) has no logical way to be hidden in incoming mail from the public.
As a consequence: all mail, greeting cards, zines, surveys and photos from these entities had to be sent to a digital mail processing center in Dallas Texas. Where it was then read, scanned, processed and electronically sent to our securus tablets.
Not only does banning organizations and businesses from sending physical mail directly to prisoners prevent them from taking part in surveys and filing out signature required job applications and contracts. It’s completely void of the rational connection TDCJ tries to make in suggesting such mail is hugely responsible for the introduction of drugs, cell phones and contraband into the prisons.
Another huge flaw in this new policy is the monthly long delays it take for mail to be transferred to the securus tablet, after the digital mail processing center has received it. Letters from friends that was post dated September 2023 wasn’t sent to my tablet until November 2023.
UP DATE TO ALL ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES
If you belong to an established non profit group, business, religious sect engaged in bible studies through correspondence, or organizations such as PEN America, A.B.O. Comix, Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund, any books to prisoners centers, IWOC, etc. Your zines, surveys, leaflets etc should be sent directly to the unit the prisoner is being held.
If it’s documents from the public that require a signature, such as a will, oil and mineral rights dispute, power of attorney, etc it should be sent directly to the prisoner with the word ATTN law library written on the envelope.
Any general mail from the public such as letters,greeting cards and photos should be sent to the digital mail processing center:
Prisoners name\TDCJ number
Unit name
PO Box 660400
Dallas Tx
75266-0400
Jason Renard Walker 1532092
Powledge Unit
PO Box 660400
Dallas Tx
75266-0400
Note: Anyone wanting their photos,greeting cards, etc returned back to them must enclose a self addressed stamped envelope that covers the cost of the items being returned.
2 thoughts on “TDCJ DIGITAL MAIL RULE UPDATE”
The transition to “all digital” mail is all about the money. By the time the TDCJ announced the “rollout”, Collier had already cut a sweetheart, quid pro quo, deal with Securus. I created a timeline that I will copy/paste below. My timeline lays out the entire sham.
Timeline
May 24, 2021; FCC set the ICS (incarcerated calling services) rate cap “Up to $0.14 minute.” This resulted in a great loss of revenue for Securus and the TDCJ, so Securus, along with the TDCJ, adapted, improvised, and overcame by developing a new revenue stream.
August 19, 2021 Collier signs Securus Contract 696-IT-21-23-C087
Terms of Contract (Pg. 10) is from:
August 19, 2021 – August 31, 2023 w/ option to extend for two (2), one (1) year periods (September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024 and September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025. The Contractor (Securus) provided line itemed details of all services (Contract Pg 11 that is illegible)
e-Messaging Cost and Commission Amount (Contract Pg. 12)
Inbound e-Message from family or friend to eligible inmate
* Up to 20,000 character e-Message
* $0.22 per e-Message
Outbound eMessage from eligible inmate to family of friend (Obvious typo, should say family or friend)
*Attachment for Photo, e-Card, or Snap n’ Send is $0.22 each
*Annual fixed commission to TDCJ (Mirrors past 12 months commission volume for e-Mail only)
* $1,285,000 annually or $107.083 per month
September 7, 2023 Collier goes on You Tube and announces what he calls a “Contraband Lockdown.” Collier says: “At the same time we do that, we will go active with a complete electronic Mail system, meaning that all incoming regular mail to an inmate will go to one address, which will be posted on our website. At that address, they will scan and image that material and have that material sent to the inmate on the inmate tablet. If the inmate does not have a tablet, that letter will be printed in our mail rooms and handed to the inmate at the facility. The reason for this is because we have seen a significant increase in drugs that are brought into our facilities through paper in the mail.”
At no time during his presentation of September 7, 2023, does Collier ever mention that he has already signed a quid pro quo contract with Securus on August 19, 2021, or that the TDCJ reaps a $1.2 million “commission” on e-Messaging alone.
Since the Securus contract is up for renewal, it is imperative for Collier to gain public support by promoting the tablets, because the contract guarantees Securus access to an “average” of “one hundred twenty thousand (120,000) inmates” spread out over “one hundred three (103) locations.”
Another interesting fact that Collier conveniently fails to mention, is that the “one address” he refers to, is owned by Securus. I view this as smooth talking grooming and deliberate deceit towards the public.
At some point between September 7, 2023 and October 10, 2023, Collier is awarded a $12,656.90 annual pay increase. Evidently, swindling pays well.
Collier “serves at the pleasure” of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ), who also set his salary. Members of the TBCJ are appointed by the governor. Board members receive a median salary of $94,000.00 annually. ALL contracts over One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) require Board approval, which means the Securus contract had to be approved by the Board before Collier signed it. SO, the Board knew, Collier knew, the lawyers knew, and the Comptroller knew, and they ALL kept it a big, dark, secret. I myself only learned of it in September of 2023 when Collier announced the “rollout.” Shortly after the so called “roll out”, Collier was given the salary increase referred to above.
From the date the original Securus contract was signed by Collier, to the current day, inmates, their friends, and loved ones, have been charged a minimum of $0.47 per e-message, and $0.47 per attachment: an overcharge of $0.25 per e-Message and attachment, retroactive to August 19, 2021. Since all these accumulated charges were done electronically, what we have here is a blatant case of wire fraud.
The price of a postage stamp is set by the U.S. Postal Service, and even Collier can’t change it, so it was much more profitable for Collier to devise a plausible sounding narrative to go “all digital.”
On 19 September 2023, TIMSA announced that Securus would be “rolling out” a $25.00 credit “to all eligible inmates”, with the added caveat that the rebate can only be applied to Securus media services.
Inmates at the TDCJ have no viable source of income. The funding for Securus “services” comes from their families and loved ones, who were NOT offered a rebate. As a matter of fact they weren’t even offered the courtesy of a nice reach-around.
The fact that Collier, AND his cronies, kept the lucrative Securus contract a secret for TWO YEARS speaks for itself. Inmates have no access to public records, and it is unlikely the public would want to see the details of a contract they know nothing about. There is one MAJOR problem with all this chicanery though: Whether the inmates, their loved ones, or the taxpayers, knew about the contract or not, the FACT is there was and is a contract, and under the terms of that contract we have all been overcharged for e-Messaging services, retroactive to 19 August 2021.
Offer of proof: Contract Pg. 33 of 69.
SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE
F.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The term of this contract is from Date of Award through August 31 , 2023 with an option to extend
for two (2), one (1) year periods (September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024 and September 1,
2024 through August 31, 2025). *The Date of Award was 19 August 2021, but no one knew that because Bryan and his cronies kept it on the down low.
Contract Performance Measure
C.3.4.2 Inmate Training (Never Happened)
The Contractor shall conduct Inmate training on how to use the tablets. The Contractor may utilize
a video presentation that can be shown to a controlled group of Inmates or those unable to read or
comprehend written literature Printed materials shall be available in both English and Spanish.
Bilingual training shall be available when required All training materials must be preapproved by
the Department before distribution.
11. Digital Mail Center – Physical mail scanning staffed by Securus and viewing in Securus Mail
Application – TDCJ no longer needs to handle physical mail other than legal mail;
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