The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is seeking an alternative solution to the current process for the handling of incoming mail sent to offenders in GDC custody at all GDC-operated facilities (34 state prisons, 12 residential substance abuse treatment facilities, 2 integrated treatment facilities, 13 transitional centers and 7 probation detention centers). Currently, this mail is sent directly to the facility where the offender is located, and the mail is opened and reviewed by GDC staff to confirm that no contraband items are within the mail. Once that is confirmed, the mail is delivered to the offender. Mail found to be containing contraband is investigated further. GDC is seeking to streamline this process by having all mail sent to one centralized location for inspection to improve efficiency and effectiveness of this process. Due to being unable to guarantee access to an electronic tablet or other electronic device that allows for a digital copy of the mail items to be viewed for all offenders at all times, the GDC is seeking a proven solution that would allow for a physical replication of the mailed items to be delivered to the facility. Original copies of the mail must be maintained by the offender mail solution provider for no less than 30 days to allow GDC to request the original copy if needed. The offender mail solution must send the original copy of mail to GDC upon request. The offender mail solution must provide security measures that would prevent a bad actor from “spoofing” mail to allow them to send contraband materials in mail that appears to have been sent from the offender mail solution provider and which provides an audit trail.
