LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Corrections is launching a new system targeting the mailing of contraband to inmates through privileged mail.

Privileged mail — correspondence sent by attorneys, courts, legal service organizations, consulates and others — must be delivered to inmates in its original form, unlike items sent through standard mail.

For standard mail, inmates receive photocopies of the correspondence — a practice that’s been in effect for several years. According to the MDOC, that has resulted in a significant decrease in efforts to send drugs to inmates through adulterated paper, stickers and other items via standard mail. However, since privileged mail is excluded from the photocopying requirement, some people resort to falsifying privileged mail to send contraband to inmates.

The new system, TextBehind DOCS, will verify privileged mail sent to those serving time in the state’s prisons with a goal of increased safety and security. Registered eligible users will be provided a unique QR code to place on each piece of mail they send. Once the mail arrives at a prison, facility staff will scan the code to verify legitimacy before it’s delivered to the inmate.

Registration starts Nov. 1, and beginning Jan. 13, 2025, the MDOC will reject any privileged mail that doesn’t have a QR code issued by TextBehind DOCS. Find more information at https://www.michigan.gov/corrections/textbehind.

Mailing drugs to any MDOC facility is a felony. Senders are responsible for all items they mail and are cautioned to not send anything to prisons on someone else’s behalf.