I have previously reported to you that I am litigating a case against Texas state prison officials for their making arbitrary denials of literature to prisoners. I am scheduled for an evidentiary hearing in November.
On Sept. 1, a new property policy went into effect in Texas prisons. In
July, I had put in for authorization to possess legal material that
would make my total property exceed the two cubic feet maximum
allowable volume becoming effective on Sep. 1. I was told by an
official who does the authorizations that as long as my property fit
into my oversized storage space locker, I would not have a problem.
However, after Sept. 1, I was told something different.
I put in for written authorization to have the "excess legal material"
on Sept. 12, but by Sept. 17 I had not received authorization, and my
excess legal property was seized. On Sept. 18, I received the required
paperwork that I had submitted back, with the notation "Which Court?" I
had written [the name of the court] in the blank on the form.
Obviously, the officials who are supposed to authorize extra legal
property are up to no good.
In struggle,
--A Texas Prisoner, October 2002
MIM responds: This prisoner is one of several comrades who are
currently fighting censorship in Texas prisons. As MIM's work in Texas
prisons -- including the campaign against forced labor for prisoners
who are sick or injured -- continues to gain supporters, and more
prisoners read MIM Notes and get involved, we expect more of this
censorship and harassment. Watch these pages for updates on the labor
campaign and these censorship fights -- and write to keep other readers
posted of relevant developments in your own cases.
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