Internal Affairs at PCF have been confiscating political material,
newsletters, and other publications being sent to inmates. They claim that
the newsletters consist of “unauthorized offender-to-offender contact”
because some of the publications contain articles, letters, or stories
written by inmates. They claim that the inmates seeing these printed
materials consists of a “security risk,” and they confiscate the
newsletters and magazines.
This is a clear violation of the inmates’ First Amendment rights. They have
the right to access political material and prison newsletters. Rules
against offender-to-offender communication were designed to keep inmates
from writing directly to each other, not from contributing to publications
that might be seen by other inmates.
Some examples of the publications being censored:
Indiana C.U.R.E.
Tulip Newspapers
San Francisco Bay View http://sfbayview.com/
<http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsfbayview.com%2F&h=EAQFcllSo&enc=AZNA4h_g1ebbKcWdsck-JqHK5mHpqFlziwJypTnbNg7Q5VpyHVvlfowxcbFp_NeOcag&s=1>
CALL/EMAIL the following people:
1) Lead Internal Affairs Investigator Hubert Duncan
(765) 778-2107, extension 0 for operator, ask for Hubert Duncan
Hubert’s email: HDuncan@idoc.IN.gov
2) Superintendent Dushan Zatecky
(765) 778-2107, extension 3 gets you to the admin building, ask for
Superintendent Dushan Zatecky
Secretary Shannon Schott Email: SSchott@idoc.IN.gov
3) Indiana Department of Corrections Commissioner Bruce Lemmon
(317) 232-5711
Executive Assistant Stephanie Lightfoot’s Email: SLightfoot@idoc.IN.gov
SUGGESTED SCRIPT (feel free to modify if you’re comfortable doing so):
“STOP censoring materials going into the prison. Inmates have the right to
access newsletters and other reading material. A publication that contains
contributions from other inmates is not offender-to-offender contact.”
After you call, please send an email to Hubert and Zatecky, and to Lemmon’s
assistants as well. Invite others to participate as we show solidarity to
our friends and family behind bars.
Thank you for supporting the right of inmates to receive publications
without fear of censorship from prison staff!