Families rally to end care package ban

Families gathered today to protest a care package ban put in place by the department of corrections, also known DOCCS.

The policy went into effect back in June.

They were part of six rallies happening around the state at the same time.

They are all calling for an end to the policy.

Earlier this year, the DOCCS put a limit on how many packages prisoners can receive.

Food is out of the picture, unless it’s from a DOCCS approved company like Price Chopper or Walmart.

But families can send personal items twice a year.

That’s because — the DOCCS says they found hundreds of drugs and other illegal items in some of those care packages.

They are cracking down. Family members say it’s not fair.

“They are a lifeline. My husband has diabetes and high blood pressure. So it’s really a life line for him,” Selena Bronson said.

Bronson is a prison reform advocate.

This is not the first time DOCCS tried to stop care packages. They tried to put the ban in place back in 2018 but they couldn’t because of the backlash they received from the families of those in prison.

DOCCS say they’ve seen a decrease in illegal items entering prisons since the ban started.