New York is banning all incoming care packages into prisons. Now, if you want to send your loved one a book or a gift, you’ll have to use an approved private prison contractor.

These contractors are making a killing swindling families -- adding huge markups to products, and then charging shipping on top. Now, inmates will only be able access a few hundred books -- when before they could order virtually any title ever written from companies like Amazon.

This is inhumane. It hurts families, and ultimately inmates who may not be able to learn, write papers for classes they are taking, and prepare for their lives after prison.

The New York Department of Corrections is receiving a massive public backlash for this program, and is already backtracking on some of the restrictions. That means that key pressure from us now could force it scrap this inhumane program altogether.

Sign the petition to the New York Department of Corrections: Drop your book and gift scheme.

The program was announced last week by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to cut back on so-called contraband gifts. But restricting gifts and learning materials instead of offering more training to staff inside prisons is not the right way to solve this problem.

Ultimately this plan is about corporate profit. States often receive kickbacks for these kinds of schemes. And the people who lose the most are inmates and families.

Prisons are meant to serve the public -- not corporations looking to profit off of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Research shows that inmates are more likely to successfully integrate back into their communities if they stay in touch with their families while serving their time. So why are corporations trying to make it more difficult?

By making it harder for inmates to stay in touch with families -- who are mostly poor and of color -- they are putting vulnerable communities at risk by placing obstacles to the rehabilitation of these inmates.

This program could be a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech, and lawsuits may be brought forward. But a public outcry could stop this program in its tracks. Many prison systems have reversed similar policies in response to public outcry.

Sign the petition to the New York Department of Corrections: Drop your inhumane private book and gift program.

Private prison corporations have been trying to do everything they can to profit off incarceration for too long. SumOfUs members across the country have been key to fighting to regulate the industry for years, and together, we're holding corporations to account. New York is already under immense pressure and has already backtracked on some of this horrible program. We can push it to back down if we come together now. Let's come together now and remind New York that people behind bars are human beings, and force them to scrap this plan.