(ABC 6 News) — Starting Friday, inmates in Minnesota prisons will now get photo-scanned copies of letters sent to them and not the originals.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections says this will help cut down on illegal drugs entering their facilities, but opponents say the new process dehumanizes incarcerated people. As a result, legal challenges are expected.

“Is this going to cost that much more money? That’s just one piece, but also the rights of those who have done everything right under these circumstances to simply get better, and this may actually make them worse,” said Criminal Defense Attorney Jack Rice.

MnDOC says they have a one-year, $500,000 contract for the new scanning process.

The ACLU of Minnesota said in part, “The DOC has better ways to deal with this problem than to violate all Minnesota inmates’ rights.”