New York Cancels Private Prison Care Packages Program

New York Cancels Private Prison Care Packages Program

Good, but it will come back when the attention goes away. "Under the plan, New York had been poised to enter the big business of prisoner care packages, joining the ranks of the hundreds of other local and state corrections agencies using private companies for the service. Instead of heading to a local convenience or grocery store to find gifts, family and friends have to choose from a selection of pre-approved items in the companies’ catalogs. Corrections departments say it reduces the risk of contraband. In New York, the decision would have severely limited, among other things, the books prisoners could receive from the outside. One count found that the five vendors combined offered only 77 books, 24 of which were coloring books. Advocates cheered the decision, saying the change erected an unnecessary barrier in maintaining relationships with incarcerated loved ones."