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Contraband in jail mail an ever-present threat

Jail staff describe how they fight against the myriad ways both outsiders and inmates may try to slip drugs and other contraband in through a letter

By Heidi Wigdahl
WBIR

MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — Writing letters is a dying practice, but it still thrives among a certain group — prisoners.

Sometimes, mail is the only interaction inmates have with loved ones while behind bars. But often it becomes a way to try to feed an addiction.

The Union County Jail in Maynardville houses, on average, 80-100 inmates at a time. With that, there is the possibility that each of those inmates could receive mail, every day.

Full story: Jail mail: Process reveals a cycle of addiction

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