A method and system for eliminating contraband in legal postal mail at a correctional facility comprising of a facility-use legal mail scanning station and a network of inmate-accessible devices and or messaging systems such that correctional institution staff can inspect the legal mail for contraband without violating an inmate's right to privacy for such mail. The legal mail is scanned by the staff member or inmate under the supervision of a staff member and then shredded or placed into the inmate's personal property in secure storage. The scanned mail may then be made available to the intended inmate through the inmate-accessible devices or printed at the scanning station to ensure the elimination of contraband.