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| Prison magazine sues Va., alleges censorship |
| By seattlepi.com |
| Published: 10/09/2009 |
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia prison officials have unconstitutionally restricted inmates from receiving a magazine that reports on prisoner rights and criminal justice issues, the publication claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday. Prison Legal News filed the lawsuit against Gene M. Johnson, director of the state Department of Corrections, and other prison officials and employees in federal court in Charlottesville. The complaint charges that Virginia inmates have been denied access to 14 issues of the monthly Prison Legal News since 2007. Prison Legal News also is challenging policies that prohibit gift subscriptions and materials that inform inmates how to subscribe to the magazine or buy books from the nonprofit organization. Magazine officials claim the policies violate their free-speech and due process rights and those of the prisoners. The magazine is seeking a court order allowing the publication in Virginia prisons along with unspecified "nominal" monetary damages. "Although prisoners lose many of their constitutional rights when they are incarcerated, the First Amendment does not end at the prison door," said Jeffrey Fogel, attorney for the magazine. Read More. |
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