Texas Bans Greeting Cards in Prison

I can only imagine what spending a holiday in jail is like.  Isolated from your friends and family on a day to day basis sounds bad enough, but on a day like your birthday - it has to be worse.  That's why a lot of inmates receive mail that includes the occasional greeting card wishing them a merry Christmas, happy birthday, or some other holiday wishes decorated with glitter, decorations, and sometimes - drugs.

In order to control the flow of contraband, officials in Texas have instituted a ban on all greeting cards that went into effect this past Sunday.  The new rule is part of a new push to keep banned items and substances out of Texas jails.  According to Texas Monthly, that plan includes increased searches and millimeter scanners (like those found in airports) in key locations inside the prisons that officials have designated as "high traffic" areas for smuggling.

According to officials in the Texas prison system, the greeting card ban is necessary because inmates are receiving cards that have been dipped in drugs like suboxone or liquid meth.  The cards themselves are drugs at that point, and become even harder to detect due to the glitter, confetti, and other embellishments that usually adorn these kinds of cards.