Censorship at WRC in Wisconsin

I'm without funds, but I'm not without a voice. The First Amendment is supposed to guarantee the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition. It is my understanding that the court held that prison authorities may screen mail, but it may not censor it unless: (1) an important government interest unrelated to the suppression of
expression is furthered, also that the intrusion is not greater than necessary, and in addition, the court held that due process requires that a decision to censor or withhold mail must be accompanied by notice to the inmate affected, opportunity for the author of the letter of protest, and a hearing. And aren't we entitled to our own political beliefs? Columbia Institution as well as WRC seem to go on a day to day basis of shoe string rules. I was just denied some religious literature at this place [WRC prison] but yet it was ok in Supermax, Columbia max, Green bay max and some mediums I know it's allowed. [MIM experiences censorship at these other facilities as well.--editor]

I was given this paper stating this new Lutheran chaplain put a hold on it "for further research" that it may or might violate state law or institution policy, so I wrote a I.C.I., spoke with the chaplain, he said he was waiting on Madison's approval, I spoke to I.C.I. guy "steve" told him its in violation of my First Amendment Rights and that I had wrote some places. Then I saw the chaplain again and he claimed he was waiting on the Warden's decision now. This all took 3 weeks.

A guy just got here from Racine Correctional Institution, the medium prison. He said the security director there had all religions removed from there, only catholic and protestant is allowed and that sweat lodge, pipe drum, medium pipe, and Muslim prayer rugs, hats and all this stuff had to be sent out by a certain date or would be considered contraband.

-- a prisoner in Wisconsin, July 2001

MIM adds: We got this letter in the same week that we received a rejection notice from WRC letting us know that MIM Notes sent to another prisoner at that institution was censored. The notice stated that MIM Notes (June 1, 2001, issue #235) was rejected because the "Item concerns an activity which, if completed, would violate the laws of Wisconsin, the United States or the Administrative Rules of the Department of Corrections." Further there was a handwritten note saying "Reviewed by PCS Boevers and Security directory Mario Canziani
309.05(2) and 309.06(1) page 165 defies authority, present a clear and present danger to institutional security and order."

As MIM has stated repeatedly in MIM Notes, in letters to administrators and in documents supporting lawsuits filed by our prison comrades, there is no legal justification for censoring MIM Notes as a threat to institutional security and order. Our material helps prisoners to educate themselves and prepare for a productive return to general society. We repeatedly received feedback from prisoners stating that we help them to learn to stop fighting one another and instead to help educate one another. MIM does not advocate the violation of any Federal or State laws and does not advocate the violation of the rules of any correctional institution. In fact, MIM Notes explicitly encourages prisoners to follow rules, to avoid fights and confrontations with other inmates and/or staff. Additionally, prisoners reading MIM Notes and other material sent from MIM Distributors typically work harder than other prisoners to stay out of situations where altercations might occur because MIM Distributors works with prisoners to become
productive and educated individuals.

Readers can send letters to protest the censorship of MIM Notes and religious material to the security director at the address below. Send a copy of your letters to MIM as well.

Mario Canziani
WRC
Box 220
Winnebago, WI 54929


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