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Polk County, Florida: Inmates Denied Newspapers, Magazines
March 07, 2005
PEN USA is disturbed by Polk County Jail’s new policy banning newspapers and magazines from the inmates at the prison.
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The old policy allowed inmates to have subscriptions to pre-approved newspapers and magazines and keep them for three days. Certain subjects were not allowed to be read, e.g, magazines about guns, but generally the inmates were allowed to know what was going on outside the bars on their windows.
However, the new policy bans newspapers and magazines (except for newspaper USA TODAY) due to local news that can incite anger, personal information, and “clutter” in the cells. According to the Sheriff who runs the prison, having reading material is a privilege, not a right. The prisoners are still allowed to read the books in the prison library; they have about 1,000 books from which to chose. However, many say they still want to be aware of current events and information found in newspapers and magazines, and not novels.
“Inmates should have a right to know what’s happening in the world outside these bars,” inmate John W. Fitzgerald wrote to local newspaper The Ledger.
The Florida ACLU issued a statement which condemned the new policy. “What public purpose and rehabilitative goal is served by preventing them from reading more . . . by keeping them in enforced ignorance?” spokeswoman Kimberly Lavender said.
While it is true some information in newspapers can start violence, other prisons have ways of preventing this while still allowing inmates access to those materials. However, materials such as local newspapers are approved in other jails in the area. A person gives up a lot of rights when they are put in prison, but taking away something as important and simple as reading a local newspaper is a punishment that seems cruel and unusual in a free society like ours. PEN USA is saddened by this development.
There is no evidence that reading newspapers causes violence any more than reading books (which is allowed) causes violence. Any number of things can spark violence and other prisons have found ways of preventing it while still allowing inmates access to reading materials.
Stephen Rohde, First Amendment lawyer and vice president of PEN USA’s domestic Freedom to Write program, says, “Exaggerated speculation about newspapers causing violence among prisoners is no justification for preventing all inmates from reading them. On a case by case basis if an inmate is provoked by what he or she reads, steps can be taken to deal with that particular problem. We are all better off when inmates prepare themselves to return to society by becoming well-informed. That’s what freedom of expression is all about.”
For more information please see the article by Gabrielle Finley in The Ledger: http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050304/NEWS/503040375/1004
Recommended Action:
Write the Sheriff’s department of Polk County (who run the prison) and ask that the inmates still be allowed approved newspapers and magazines as per the old policy. Simply allowing USA TODAY is not a fair compromise for those who wish to know news that the national paper may not cover.
Sheriff Grady Judd
455 North Broadway Avenue
Bartow, Florida 33830-3998
863 533-0344 / 1 800 226-0344 / 863 534-6200
Comments:
My father is in the Polk County Jail down there and them inmates have a right to know what is happening in the world without hearing it from you cops!