For Arkansas inmates, a book or magazine has been one of the few connections to the outside world. Now, that access is at the center of debate over safety, contraband and the future of prison mail.
A proposed printed material restriction was presented on Dec. 19, 2025 to the Board of Corrections and was approved, set to begin Feb. 1, 2026.
Since then, the ban has been on hold because of the Arkansas Administrative Rule that would need to be updated, “which requires a number of steps, including legislative approval,” chief of communications, Rand Champion, said.
Board members proposed this ban after claiming that it was a desirable change that would be necessary in preventing drugs and other contraband from entering prisons.
“It [the ban] would limit printed materials being shipped directly to inmates from commercial vendors as the department has seen a significant increase in the number of printed materials soaked in synthetic drugs that were being sent to the various units,” Champion said.
The 2007 policy allowed inmates to receive books and magazines from approved publishers and vendors and Arkansas inmates are currently still able to receive these items.
However, these materials had to be checked due to high security dangers and corrections. Officials told Arkansas KARK that “case-by-case basis inspections are no longer effective due to increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods.”
Though the statewide proposal is relatively new, the idea isn’t unfamiliar in Faulkner County. According to Antony Mosby, a Faulkner County deputy and security officer at the Faulkner County Detention Center, similar restrictions have long been in place because of concerns about substances being smuggled into the facility.
“It actually makes sense, because there is a drug we’re starting to see more of that is being sprayed on paper,” Mosby said.
As for inmates receiving the books or religious materials they need, Mosby said the jail already provides them through internal request forms.
“There’s really no reason for them to get a Bible from outside when they can fill out the right paperwork and we’ll get the exact type of Bible they want,” he said. “So there’s really no need for them to go outside and get a book.”
While some see this as an issue meant to control and abuse power over inmates, others see this as a necessity to be as safe as possible.
“It’s not about hurting the freedoms of inmates; it’s a safety issue of keeping that contraband out,” Champion told KARK.
Whether the proposed restriction ultimately takes effect will depend on the state’s rule‑making process and legislative approval. Until then, Arkansas detention centers continue to navigate the growing challenge of contraband while inmates wait to see how much of their access to printed materials will remain.
