lulu
03-29-2003, 01:36 PM
AUSTIN - Correspondence between inmates will be significantly restricted
under a rule change approved by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice Friday.
The rule change says that beginning May 1 offenders will only be permitted to
write each other if they are immediate family members, have a child together,
are co-parties in an active legal matter or if one inmate is providing a
witness affidavit in an active case.
The limits are meant to cut down on the work load in prison mail rooms, where
employees spend significant amounts of time vetting letters for gang-related
dialogue, said Carl Reynolds, general counsel for the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice.
The change is in line with many other states and cuts back on liberal
correspondence rules dating from class action litigation in 1971, Reynolds
said.
But another suit may test the new rule's legality.
"I fully expect that we will get sued," Reynolds said.
The board also voted on Friday to have staff throw out certain publications
sent to inmates, instead of spending time to clip forbidden material from
them.
Publications that would be tossed in the trash under the new rules include
certain pornography, racist literature and materials that advocate or explain
how to commit violent acts, said Sharon Felfe, the agency's director of
preventive law.
http://www.dallasnews.com/texassouthwest/ap/stories/AP_STATEGS_0296.html
under a rule change approved by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice Friday.
The rule change says that beginning May 1 offenders will only be permitted to
write each other if they are immediate family members, have a child together,
are co-parties in an active legal matter or if one inmate is providing a
witness affidavit in an active case.
The limits are meant to cut down on the work load in prison mail rooms, where
employees spend significant amounts of time vetting letters for gang-related
dialogue, said Carl Reynolds, general counsel for the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice.
The change is in line with many other states and cuts back on liberal
correspondence rules dating from class action litigation in 1971, Reynolds
said.
But another suit may test the new rule's legality.
"I fully expect that we will get sued," Reynolds said.
The board also voted on Friday to have staff throw out certain publications
sent to inmates, instead of spending time to clip forbidden material from
them.
Publications that would be tossed in the trash under the new rules include
certain pornography, racist literature and materials that advocate or explain
how to commit violent acts, said Sharon Felfe, the agency's director of
preventive law.
http://www.dallasnews.com/texassouthwest/ap/stories/AP_STATEGS_0296.html