SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State senators unanimously passed legislation Thursday to ensure people in the Illinois Department of Corrections are not charged unreasonable fees for sending mail.
Sponsors said it’s important that families stay connected with their loved ones, and the state should not make that process harder.
The bill ensures committed people and their correspondents are not charged any fee for mail and scanning services exceeding the standard postage rate.
“Basically, we’re just codifying into law the current practice of IDOC, which is just to charge the market rate of a stamp,” said Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan). “So if a stamp is 25 cents on the outside, it’s 25 cents on the inside.”
IDOC will be banned from generating revenue from communication between families and loved ones. This plan could also require annual reporting on rates paid for mail and how the department spends the money.
House Bill 4235 now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for final approval.
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