Tracking Prison Censorship in the United States

Deputy Director
Division of Operations
Virginia Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 26963
Richmond, VA 23261

August 29, 2009

Director,

This week we received your letter regarding the censorship of mail that MIM Distributors has attempted to send to prisoner X and prisoner Y. The pieces of denied mail are MIM Theory, Winter 1993, #4 and an article "Maoism Around Us," respectively. Both pieces of literature in question were censored based on VDOC mailroom policy 803.2 criteria #7 & 12.

We are aware of the specifics of policy 803.2, including criteria #7 & #12. However, in the reason you provided for this censorship, you failed to give any substantial, actual reason for how these publications violate VDOC policy.

This letter is to ask for an independent review of this decision. We request that you also include specific examples from the publications in question to demonstrate how they violate policy 803.2 criteria #7 & #12.

Please excuse the tardiness of this request. Unfortunately it was impossible for us to request an independent review within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the disapproval, July 27, because the letter wasn't postmarked until August 11, and didn't arrive in our mailbox until well after the 15 day mark.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

MIM(Prisons)

John M. Jabe, Deputy Director
Virginia Dept of Corrections
PO Box 26963
Richmond, VA 23261-6963

19 October 2009

Mr. Jabe,

Enclosed are the materials you requested for independent review as per the enclosed letter. Please note, that these are just two examples of literature that has been censored at Red Onion over the last couple years. As far as we know, none of our subscribers have received a copy of our newsletter Under Lock & Key since 2008 despite being issued approvals for subscriptions by the administration there. Generally, the material is returned to us with no explanation given, so we appreciate you taking the time to review these materials. However, we are not so much concerned about these two pieces in particular, but the handling of our mail at Red Onion in general.

We look forward to your response and hope to resolve the problems we have been having with getting mail to its intended recipients.

Deputy Director
Division of Operations
Virginia Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 26963
Richmond, VA 23261
August 29, 2009
Director,

This week we received your letter regarding the censorship of mail that MIM Distributors has attempted to send to prisoner X and prisoner Y. The pieces of denied mail are MIM Theory, Winter 1993, #4 and an article "Maoism Around Us," respectively. Both pieces of literature in question were censored based on VDOC mailroom policy 803.2 criteria #7 & 12.

We are aware of the specifics of policy 803.2, including criteria #7 & #12. However, in the reason you provided for this censorship, you failed to give any substantial, actual reason for how these publications violate VDOC policy.

This letter is to ask for an independent review of this decision. We request that you also include specific examples from the publications in question to demonstrate how they violate policy 803.2 criteria #7 & #12.

Please excuse the tardiness of this request. Unfortunately it was impossible for us to request an independent review within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the disapproval, July 27, because the letter wasn't postmarked until August 11, and didn't arrive in our mailbox until well after the 15 day mark.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

MIM(Prisons)

John M. Jabe, Deputy Director
Virginia Dept of Corrections
PO Box 26963
Richmond, VA 23261-6963

19 October 2009

Mr. Jabe,

Enclosed are the materials you requested for independent review as per the enclosed letter. Please note, that these are just two examples of literature that has been censored at Red Onion over the last couple years. As far as we know, none of our subscribers have received a copy of our newsletter Under Lock & Key since 2008 despite being issued approvals for subscriptions by the administration there. Generally, the material is returned to us with no explanation given, so we appreciate you taking the time to review these materials. However, we are not so much concerned about these two pieces in particular, but the handling of our mail at Red Onion in general.

We look forward to your response and hope to resolve the problems we have been having with getting mail to its intended recipients.

Tracy Ray, Warden
Red Onion State Prison
10800 H. Jack Rose Hwy.
PO Box 970
Pound, VA 24279

9 November 2007

Warden Ray,

We are in receipt of the notification of ?Unauthorized Mail? dated 9/29/2008 that was mailed to us 10/29/2008 from your office (see enclosed). The stated reason for disapproval is ?No Approval.? I have enclosed the Personal Property Request Form from the department stating that Mr. XXXXXX did in fact get approval for a free subscription to our newsletter, journal and books for 1 year on 8/3/2008.

This incident is one of many claims that mail from MIM Distributors is not approved, including a number of letters sent to prisoners. It has also happened in the context of consistent censorship of all literature and many letters sent by MIM Distributors to prisoners at Red Onion. We respectfully request that you ensure that mailroom staff follow the procedures that the department has set up for literature and mail approval and that they respect the property approval forms that they themselves have issued.

We look forward to your response,