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| Inmates are told to get rid of porn |
| By Monroe Herald |
| Published: 07/02/2004 |
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Darren Sherman lives in his 6- by 9-foot cell at the prison complex here with little hope. The corkboard is filled with photos of family and friends. But Sherman, 36, of Kelso, Wash. will never see them outside of prison. He is sentenced to life without parole for aggravated murder. Sherman, who has been locked up for about 13 years, has few pleasures. A box full of pornographic magazines momentarily helps him forget about his harsh reality. But Sherman can no longer legally keep those magazines. As part of a new policy, the Washington Department of Corrections ordered inmates to get rid of all pornographic materials in their cells last week, said Lynne DeLano, assistant deputy secretary of the department. The reasons include: Prison employees have complained about the sometimes graphic materials; prison officials hope to reduce aggressive behavior in inmates; and prison administrators hope it will help in the treatment of sex offenders, who make up 7 percent of the prison population. The department also is banning inmates from smoking beginning Nov. 1. So, officials are a little concerned that taking pleasure items from inmates would increase violence, but it's prepared to take action, DeLano said. The department, which adopted a policy similar to one used by the Arizona Department of Corrections, defines pornographic materials as any pictorial representation for sexual gratification showing sexual behaviors or full frontal nudity. If inmates keep such materials, prison officers will search their cells and take them away, DeLano said. The policy applies to all inmates regardless of gender, she said. About 16,000 inmates are incarcerated in 15 state prisons. Approximately 8 percent, or 1,280, are women. |
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