Contraband
Contraband is any item that is prohibited inside a correctional facility.
What Is Contraband?
Contraband is any item that is prohibited inside a correctional facility. Common contraband includes drugs, weapons, unauthorized food, cell phones, and items sent through unapproved channels. Mail scanning and mail bans at many facilities are implemented specifically to prevent contraband from entering through incoming correspondence. Items confiscated as contraband are typically destroyed, and the sender may not receive a refund.
Books sent to a South Carolina state prison after October 2025 through an unapproved vendor are classified as contraband. The books are confiscated and sent to Contraband disposal without a refund to the sender.
Related Terms
Explore other glossary terms that are closely connected to this topic.
Mail Scanning
Mail scanning is a system where incoming physical mail is intercepted at a central processing facility, scanned digitally, and delivered to the inmate electronically or as a photocopy rather than as the original physical letter.
CommunicationLegal Mail
Legal mail is correspondence between an incarcerated person and their attorney, court, or government agency that is protected by attorney-client privilege and handled differently from regular personal mail.
Facility TypesSHU
SHU stands for Special Housing Unit, which is a segregated area of a correctional facility where inmates are held separately from the general population for disciplinary reasons or for their own protection.
AdministrationLockdown
A lockdown is a security measure at a correctional facility where all inmates are confined to their cells and normal activities including phone calls, visits, and programming are suspended.
People Also Ask
Related questions families often search for alongside this topic.
What is Mail Scanning?
Mail scanning is a system where incoming physical mail is intercepted at a central processing facility, scanned digitally, and delivered to the inmate electronically or as a photocopy rather than as the original physical letter.
Read full definitionWhat is Legal Mail?
Legal mail is correspondence between an incarcerated person and their attorney, court, or government agency that is protected by attorney-client privilege and handled differently from regular personal mail.
Read full definitionWhat is SHU?
SHU stands for Special Housing Unit, which is a segregated area of a correctional facility where inmates are held separately from the general population for disciplinary reasons or for their own protection.
Read full definitionWhat is Lockdown?
A lockdown is a security measure at a correctional facility where all inmates are confined to their cells and normal activities including phone calls, visits, and programming are suspended.
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