{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1331", "Bacon Introduces Bill to Keep Fentanyl out of Prisons", "2023-09-14", "2023", "2023-09", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Don Bacon", "B001298", "bacon.house.gov", "bacon", "https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2023\n\nMEDIA CONTACTS: Danielle Jensen Maggie Sayers\n\nBacon Introduces Bill to Keep Fentanyl out of Prisons\n\nWashington, DC\u2014Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), introduced H.R. 5266, the Interdiction of Fentanyl in Postal Mail at Federal Prisons Act alongside (NE-02), Rep. Weber (TX-14), Rep. Miller (WV-01), Rep. Cartwright (PA-08), Rep. Pappas (NH-01), and Rep. Cuellar (TX-28). The fentanyl epidemic has claimed thousands of American lives, and is a particular problem among the incarcerated, a significant number of whom suffer from addiction.\n\nPrisons have experienced a 600% rise in drug overdoses among inmates over the past several years, driven by the smuggling of fentanyl and other contraband through the mail service. Fentanyl poses a significant risk to the health and safety inmates and prison employees. H.R. 5266 will fund a program to implement digital mail scanning in U.S. prisons, a solution that was found to be 100% effective in a trial.\n\n\u201cWe must keep fentanyl out of the hands of inmates,\u201d said Bacon. \u201cDigitizing mail has been shown to be an effective method for keeping this deadly drug away from inmates and protecting employees who are tasked with processing the mail. Neglecting this simple solution diverts resources and threatens health and safety at our prisons.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter introducing a successful off-site mail program at USP Canaan in my district, it\u2019s clear to me that we must modernize the inmate mail system at penitentiaries across the country,\u201d said Cartwright. \u201cIf we can close this known pathway to drug smuggling, we can protect correctional officers and inmates.\u201d\n\n\"Stopping illegal drugs and contraband before it reaches the inmates is critical for safety and maintaining order,\" said Weber. \"This bill would also protect correctional officers from coming into contact with fentanyl and other dangerous drugs through the mail.\"\n\n\u201cModernizing the mail system at federal prisons will help combat the flow of drugs and contraband while protecting the safety of staff,\u201d said Pappas. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to introduce this bipartisan bill with my colleagues, and I will continue to support efforts that will combat drug trafficking and save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe fentanyl and opioid crises in America have devastated our communities and will continue to until we combat the flow of drugs throughout the United States,\u201d said Miller. \u201cThe Interdiction of Fentanyl in Postal Mail at Federal Prisons Act will prevent fentanyl from being smuggled through postal mail into federal prisons and implement better living and working conditions at these facilities. The safety of our inmates, officers, and staff is of the utmost importance as we take crucial steps to stop the drug crisis in America.\u201d\n\nThe bill text can be read here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1331"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.854266807436943, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}