Florida prisons are in the process of converting incoming snail mail to a digital-only format. The Department of Corrections says the change will reduce the amount of contraband coming into prisons.
Denise Rock is executive director of Florida Cares, a nonprofit that advocates for the incarcerated. She told The Florida Channel inmates and their families are speaking out against the change.
"People that are incarcerated will describe where they take the physical mail and they run their fingers over the handwriting - you know, you can feel the penmanship of your loved one - or being able to touch the colors of a card that your child has drawn, for example,” Rock said.
Inmates are provided a tablet where they can view their digital mail, or they can use kiosks. They can also print their digital mail at a cost of 50 cents for black and white copies and one dollar for color copies.
