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| Mass. Officials Seek to Limit Media's Inmate Access |
| By Boston Globe |
| Published: 06/03/2002 |
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The state is preparing to crack down on media access to inmates, proposing new guidelines that would prohibit cameras and tape recorders at medium- and maximum-security prisons, eliminate media access to inmates held in segregation and deny confidential interviews at all state institutions. The planned restrictions have alarmed lawmakers, legal experts, and civil libertarians who say that the media has often been instrumental in exposing cases of abuse and corruption inside prisons. ''Inmates will certainly be fearful of speaking candidly,'' said Carol V. Rose, a lawyer at Hill and Barlow who specializes in First Amendment and media issues. ''And media access is at times critical to protecting civil liberties.'' Corrections officials say that the regulations will require a prison officer or correction official be present whenever an inmate speaks to the media. That has been the informal policy for at least the last two years, according to Correction Department spokesman Justin L. Latini. But now, the state wants to make it official. The DOC cites security and safety concerns and respect for the privacy of the victims of violent crimes as reasons for the ban on cameras, but does not name any specific security breaches. The department will hold a public hearing on the plan June 14, said DOC counsel Philip Silva. ''There's been a proliferation of TV shows, detailing life in prison,'' said Silva. ''We don't want to make celebrities of criminals.'' Silva also said victims should not be forced to revisit the crime through its replay in the media. An inmate protesting his innocence on camera, for example, may cause new suffering. ''These changes are based on legitimate security concerns and protecting the privacy of victims.'' The move by the DOC follows a nationwide trend toward limiting media access to prisons. California, Michigan, Florida, and Virginia have all stiffened their guidelines in the last two years regarding media regulations. In Michigan, for instance, reporters now can speak to an inmate only during regular visiting hours. Cameras there have also been banned. |
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