Philadelphia jails started routing all incoming mail through a third-party scanning and reprint service Monday in a bid to keep drug-soaked letters and other hard contraband from ever reaching inmates. The company behind the move says the shift will protect staff and incarcerated people, and might even trim mailroom workloads and costs. The change comes as mail-processing programs have spread through state corrections systems around the country in recent years.
As reported by NBC10 Philadelphia, the vendor, Maryland-based TextBehind, reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and activated its mail-management system citywide on April 6. NBC10 noted that TextBehind already works with more than 30 prisons in Pennsylvania and quoted CEO Zia Rhana, who said the service is designed to stop "hard" contraband from entering facilities through postal mail. The outlet also reported that the company projects reduced mailroom labor needs and "significant cost savings" for the jail system.
How the system works
According to TextBehind, personal mail, publications and privileged mail are routed through an off-site processing center, where items are screened and digitized. For most correspondence, physical originals are not delivered to facilities. Instead, the content is reprinted and forwarded to the jails. The company’s public materials describe verification steps for attorneys and other privileged senders, along with online portals for family members who want to send messages or order printed mailings.
A related U.S. patent filing for the underlying system, posted on Justia, describes features such as QR-code tracking, sender authentication dashboards and electronic file-locking for privileged correspondence.
What company leaders say
TextBehind CEO Zia Rhana told NBC10 Philadelphia that "correctional officers, prison administration staff and incarcerated loved ones are in serious danger" from drug-laced mail and said the company’s process removes that threat. Rhana also said the change should free up mailroom staff time and lower costs for the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
What other states learned
Corrections agencies around the region have already tested similar setups. The Michigan Department of Corrections announced a privileged-mail verification rollout in October 2024, and the State of Delaware expanded a centralized mail-screening program in 2024, while officials in New Jersey reported fewer overdose incidents in some units after shifting to vendor-run screening. Those developments are detailed by the Michigan Department of Corrections, the State of Delaware and reporting from Corrections1. At the same time, watchdogs caution that scanning and third-party processing can slow delivery, shift costs to private vendors and raise civil-rights and legal-mail issues, according to Prison Legal News.
Concerns for families and attorneys
TextBehind’s consumer portals allow loved ones to compose messages online or order printed copies to be mailed to inmates, and the company describes a separate workflow for authenticated privileged senders that is intended to protect confidentiality while still verifying origin. Those changes can translate into slower delivery of originals, a different look or quality for documents and, critics argue, one more commercial gatekeeper between inmates and outside counsel or family.
Hoodline previously covered a similar TextBehind rollout in Michigan, where officials highlighted staff safety while advocates questioned access and vendor costs, in staff safety and access questions in Michigan. We will watch for detailed guidance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons for families, attorneys and publishers and report back as the new system becomes part of daily life inside the city’s jails.
