[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 6 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H64]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   STOP ILLICIT SUBSTANCES IN PRISONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5266, because the 
Federal prison system is in a crisis. Overdoses have skyrocketed 600 
percent in prisons and jails, with 65 percent of inmates suffering from 
active substance abuse disorders.
  The influx of fentanyl and contraband into the prisons through 
fentanyl-soaked mail and forged legal correspondence is a threat to 
inmates and our prison staff who risk exposure to tainted mail.
  The Federal Bureau of Prisons deployed successful pilot programs at 
two Federal prisons which digitized all mail for 1 year. During the 
trial, 100 percent of fentanyl was intercepted, and no opioids or other 
drugs were introduced into the facilities via the mail.
  I introduced H.R. 5266 with Representative Cartwright to ensure the 
safety of staff and inmates in custody. The bill calls for stringent 
inspection protocols to halt the flow of illicit substances. We must 
reverse the dangerous trend of drug consumption and trafficking in our 
prisons. I urge the House to embrace this legislation and pass it.

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