New ID requirement to message NJ inmates leads to data privacy fears
New Jersey has introduced an ID verification requirement for people who want to send messages to incarcerated individuals, prompting concern about how that personal data will be collected, stored, and used.
Why this matters: Staying in contact with someone in prison is already difficult. Now New Jersey is asking people on the outside to hand over identifying information just to send a message. That means the state is building a database of who has ties to incarcerated people. Family members, lawyers, friends, advocates — all logged. These are often people who have done nothing wrong. The real concern is not just what happens to that data today, but who can access it later and for what purpose.
Who should care: General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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