MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
prisoner filed 602 grievance saying that organization no longer exists Download Documentation
03/24/2011
First Level Appeal upheld claiming no evidence ban was overturned Download Documentation
03/29/2011
Level 2 appeal by prisoner
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Explains that blanket ban is illegal and that cited memo was overturned years ago as we have been over with them dozens of times. (see 602 document above)
04/18/2011
Letter to MIM(Prisons) regarding reasons for censorship (cites old ban) Download Documentation
04/22/2011
Warden claims to have researched ban and found it was never overturned! Download Documentation
04/26/2011
Prisoner files 3rd level appeal explaining that concerns have not been addressed
07/12/2011
Director Level acknowledges ban overturned and decides in favor of prisoner Download Documentation
Impounded, Page 1 and 3 is inflammatory and presents a threat to security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system or the safety of any perosn.[Download Documentation]
Steven F. Singer, Warden
Florida State Prison
7819 NW 228th Street
Raiford, FL 32026-1000
30 June 2011
Dear Warden Singer,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 19 (March/April 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Florida State Prison (FSP). The publication was impounded because of the alleged reason that "page 1 and 3 is inflammatory and presents a threat to security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system or the safety of any person." This decision to impound was made by mailroom employee D. Jackson. I am also aware that multiple prisoners in FSP have appealed this censorship.
I have included a copy of the pages in question for your reference. Interestingly, the two pages mentioned on the Notice of Impoundment are focused on the United Front for Peace in Prisons, which is clearly not a threat to the safety of any person, and is in fact an attempt to quell the violence that runs rampant all across the prison system. This attempt is not without basis; unity around common principles has been proven historically to eliminate violence among differing groups, even in prisons. How can information on making peace within prisons present a threat to the security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system? Without doubt, if there were less prisoner-on-prisoner violence, it would relieve much of the occupational hazard for Correctional Officers and actually increase the security and good order of the correctional system, and personal self-discipline of the prisoners.
The content on pages 1 and 3 not related to the United Front for Peace in Prisons contains part of a report of the uprisings in the Middle East and north Africa. This information is readily available in media sources accessible by prisoners, making it moot as a reason for censorship.
Based on the information provided above, and on the pages of Under Lock & Key issue 19 provided, we would like to request that the publication be allowed to prisoners held at Florida State Prison. If not, please provide us with a detailed explanation of the censorship. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
Impounded, page 1 and 3 is inflammatory and presents a threat to security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system or the safety of any person.[Download Documentation]
Steven F. Singer, Warden
Florida State Prison
7819 NW 228th Street
Raiford, FL 32026-1000
30 June 2011
Dear Warden Singer,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 19 (March/April 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Florida State Prison (FSP). The publication was impounded because of the alleged reason that "page 1 and 3 is inflammatory and presents a threat to security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system or the safety of any person." This decision to impound was made by mailroom employee D. Jackson. I am also aware that multiple prisoners in FSP have appealed this censorship.
I have included a copy of the pages in question for your reference. Interestingly, the two pages mentioned on the Notice of Impoundment are focused on the United Front for Peace in Prisons, which is clearly not a threat to the safety of any person, and is in fact an attempt to quell the violence that runs rampant all across the prison system. This attempt is not without basis; unity around common principles has been proven historically to eliminate violence among differing groups, even in prisons. How can information on making peace within prisons present a threat to the security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system? Without doubt, if there were less prisoner-on-prisoner violence, it would relieve much of the occupational hazard for Correctional Officers and actually increase the security and good order of the correctional system, and personal self-discipline of the prisoners.
The content on pages 1 and 3 not related to the United Front for Peace in Prisons contains part of a report of the uprisings in the Middle East and north Africa. This information is readily available in media sources accessible by prisoners, making it moot as a reason for censorship.
Based on the information provided above, and on the pages of Under Lock & Key issue 19 provided, we would like to request that the publication be allowed to prisoners held at Florida State Prison. If not, please provide us with a detailed explanation of the censorship. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
Jason Heaton, Regional Director
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Region V Director's Office
304 West 6th Street
Plainview, Texas 79072
29 June 2011
Dear Director Heaton,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Clements Unit. The mailroom staff at Clements Unit say that this publication was denied based on criteria (c) because "page 10 contains material of a racial nature." I have included a copy of page 10 for your reference. I am aware that on 22 March 2011 the DRC upheld the MSCP decision to deny this publication. We are writing this letter to appeal your office's decision to uphold the denial of Under Lock & Key issue 18.
Interestingly, we have received confirmation that prisoners held at Allred Unit, Montford Unit, and Smith Unit (not to mention prisons outside of Region V) were all permitted to receive this issue of Under Lock & Key. These three prisons are part of Region V. Why is it that mailroom staff at three different facilities did not also censor Under Lock & Key issue 18, even when they are following the same policies and procedures as the mailroom staff at Clements Unit? We believe that this is an indication that mailroom staff at Clements Unit are in error in identifying the material on page 10 to be a violation of criteria (c).
Therefore, we are asking that Under Lock & Key issue 18 be allowed to prisoners held at Clements Unit. If you continue to uphold this censorship, it would be extremely helpful if you could tell us specifically what about page 10 your office believes to be "written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots or security threat group activity," as it would help us to prevent censorship of future publications. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
Jason Heaton, Regional Director
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Region V Director's Office
304 West 6th Street
Plainview, Texas 79072
29 June 2011
Dear Director Heaton,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Clements Unit. The mailroom staff at Clements Unit say that this publication was denied based on criteria (c) because "page 10 contains material of a racial nature." I have included a copy of page 10 for your reference. I am aware that on 22 March 2011 the DRC upheld the MSCP decision to deny this publication. We are writing this letter to appeal your office's decision to uphold the denial of Under Lock & Key issue 18.
Interestingly, we have received confirmation that prisoners held at Allred Unit, Montford Unit, and Smith Unit (not to mention prisons outside of Region V) were all permitted to receive this issue of Under Lock & Key. These three prisons are part of Region V. Why is it that mailroom staff at three different facilities did not also censor Under Lock & Key issue 18, even when they are following the same policies and procedures as the mailroom staff at Clements Unit? We believe that this is an indication that mailroom staff at Clements Unit are in error in identifying the material on page 10 to be a violation of criteria (c).
Therefore, we are asking that Under Lock & Key issue 18 be allowed to prisoners held at Clements Unit. If you continue to uphold this censorship, it would be extremely helpful if you could tell us specifically what about page 10 your office believes to be "written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots or security threat group activity," as it would help us to prevent censorship of future publications. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
page 10 contains material of a racial nature; communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruptions[Download Documentation]
Jason Heaton, Regional Director
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Region V Director's Office
304 West 6th Street
Plainview, Texas 79072
29 June 2011
Dear Director Heaton,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Clements Unit. The mailroom staff at Clements Unit say that this publication was denied based on criteria (c) because "page 10 contains material of a racial nature." I have included a copy of page 10 for your reference. I am aware that on 22 March 2011 the DRC upheld the MSCP decision to deny this publication. We are writing this letter to appeal your office's decision to uphold the denial of Under Lock & Key issue 18.
Interestingly, we have received confirmation that prisoners held at Allred Unit, Montford Unit, and Smith Unit (not to mention prisons outside of Region V) were all permitted to receive this issue of Under Lock & Key. These three prisons are part of Region V. Why is it that mailroom staff at three different facilities did not also censor Under Lock & Key issue 18, even when they are following the same policies and procedures as the mailroom staff at Clements Unit? We believe that this is an indication that mailroom staff at Clements Unit are in error in identifying the material on page 10 to be a violation of criteria (c).
Therefore, we are asking that Under Lock & Key issue 18 be allowed to prisoners held at Clements Unit. If you continue to uphold this censorship, it would be extremely helpful if you could tell us specifically what about page 10 your office believes to be "written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots or security threat group activity," as it would help us to prevent censorship of future publications. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
Pages 2,3,9 violates DC-ADM 803, Section 3.E.3.a.4 Writings that advocate, assist, or are evidence of crinimal activity or facility misconduct.[Download Documentation]
Rick Thaler, Director
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Correctional Institutions Division
P.O. Box 99
Huntsville, Texas 77342
24 June 2011
Dear Director Thaler,
I am in receipt of a Decision Form from the Director's Review Committee, upholding the erroneous applicaion of Board Policy (BP) 03.91 Uniform Offender Correspondence Rules. The item was originally denied deliver to Mr. XXX, a prisoner held in Coffield Unit, on 8 April 2011. Mr. XXX appealed the denial on 8 April 2011. The Decision Form from your office is dated 19 May 2011.
This censorship is erroneous because the reason given on 8 April 2011 was "multiple copies of publication (x2)," and your 19 May Decision Form states "The DRC has rendered a decision regarding your appeal of the Unit rejection of the multiple copies of publication received in contradiction with BP 03-91.." First, the publication that was sent to Mr. Taylor was not multiple copies. It was a quantity of the newspaper MIM Notes, which is no longer in print. Each issue of MIM Notes sent in this package was unique, and a quick review of the contents will support this.
Regardless of whether there were multiple issues of MIM Notes newspaper included in the package of newspapers to Mr. XXX, reviewing BP-03.91 (rev. 2, February 11, 2010) demonstrates that it is not even a TDCJ Procedure to censor incoming mail to prisoners based on how many copies of an item are sent. "Multiple copies" is not listed under criteria for disapproval in IV.A. Content Inspection of General Correspondence, or IV.E. Content Inspection of Publications. If you are still upholding the decision to disapprove these newspapers to Mr. Taylor, please point me to the procedure supporting the denial.
We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
S. M. Salinas, Warden
Deuel Vocational Institution
P.O. Box 400
Tracy, CA 95378-0004
24 June 2011
Dear Warden Salinas,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). The prisoners affected by this censorship were Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, and Mr. X. The newsletter was returned to MIM Distributors with "Banned since 2006" written on the publication and highlighted. We were not sent a CDCR Form 1819 regarding this newsletter.
According to Prison Legal News v. CDCR, and your own Department Operations Manual, each publication and letter must be reviewed on an individual basis, and it is illegal to ban a distributor who is not on the centralized list that is put out by CDCR annually (see DOM Section 54010.21). In 2008, MIM was not on the banned list, and we have reason to believe we are not on the 2011 list either, because no one has referred us to it. So we request that you stop this illegal ban on all publications coming from MIM Distributors, and start determining the allowance of publications on an individual basis. Of course, if MIM Distributors or Under Lock & Key are on the centralized list of disallowed publications, please send us a copy.
Additionally, allow me to remind you that if you should determine a publication to be inadmissible at DVI, you are legally obligated to provide to the sender and the intended recipient the name or identification of the publication, and the specific reason why it is being censored. This reason must be legitimately related to penological interested as laid out in Turner v. Safely, and reiterated in your Department Operations Manual (see DOM Section 54010.16).
We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
S. M. Salinas, Warden
Deuel Vocational Institution
P.O. Box 400
Tracy, CA 95378-0004
24 June 2011
Dear Warden Salinas,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). The prisoners affected by this censorship were Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, and Mr. X. The newsletter was returned to MIM Distributors with "Banned since 2006" written on the publication and highlighted. We were not sent a CDCR Form 1819 regarding this newsletter.
According to Prison Legal News v. CDCR, and your own Department Operations Manual, each publication and letter must be reviewed on an individual basis, and it is illegal to ban a distributor who is not on the centralized list that is put out by CDCR annually (see DOM Section 54010.21). In 2008, MIM was not on the banned list, and we have reason to believe we are not on the 2011 list either, because no one has referred us to it. So we request that you stop this illegal ban on all publications coming from MIM Distributors, and start determining the allowance of publications on an individual basis. Of course, if MIM Distributors or Under Lock & Key are on the centralized list of disallowed publications, please send us a copy.
Additionally, allow me to remind you that if you should determine a publication to be inadmissible at DVI, you are legally obligated to provide to the sender and the intended recipient the name or identification of the publication, and the specific reason why it is being censored. This reason must be legitimately related to penological interested as laid out in Turner v. Safely, and reiterated in your Department Operations Manual (see DOM Section 54010.16).
We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
S. XXXXXX Salinas, Warden
Deuel Vocational Institution
P.O. Box 400
Tracy, CA 95378-0004
24 June 2011
Dear Warden Salinas,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). The prisoners affected by this censorship were Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, and Mr. X. The newsletter was returned to MIM Distributors with "Banned since 2006" written on the publication and highlighted. We were not sent a CDCR Form 1819 regarding this newsletter.
According to Prison Legal News v. CDCR, and your own Department Operations Manual, each publication and letter must be reviewed on an individual basis, and it is illegal to ban a distributor who is not on the centralized list that is put out by CDCR annually (see DOM Section 54010.21). In 2008, MIM was not on the banned list, and we have reason to believe we are not on the 2011 list either, because no one has referred us to it. So we request that you stop this illegal ban on all publications coming from MIM Distributors, and start determining the allowance of publications on an individual basis. Of course, if MIM Distributors or Under Lock & Key are on the centralized list of disallowed publications, please send us a copy.
Additionally, allow me to remind you that if you should determine a publication to be inadmissible at DVI, you are legally obligated to provide to the sender and the intended recipient the name or identification of the publication, and the specific reason why it is being censored. This reason must be legitimately related to penological interested as laid out in Turner v. Safely, and reiterated in your Department Operations Manual (see DOM Section 54010.16).
We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
S. M. Salinas, Warden
Deuel Vocational Institution
P.O. Box 400
Tracy, CA 95378-0004
24 June 2011
Dear Warden Salinas,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). The prisoners affected by this censorship were Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, and Mr. X. The newsletter was returned to MIM Distributors with "Banned since 2006" written on the publication and highlighted. We were not sent a CDCR Form 1819 regarding this newsletter.
According to Prison Legal News v. CDCR, and your own Department Operations Manual, each publication and letter must be reviewed on an individual basis, and it is illegal to ban a distributor who is not on the centralized list that is put out by CDCR annually (see DOM Section 54010.21). In 2008, MIM was not on the banned list, and we have reason to believe we are not on the 2011 list either, because no one has referred us to it. So we request that you stop this illegal ban on all publications coming from MIM Distributors, and start determining the allowance of publications on an individual basis. Of course, if MIM Distributors or Under Lock & Key are on the centralized list of disallowed publications, please send us a copy.
Additionally, allow me to remind you that if you should determine a publication to be inadmissible at DVI, you are legally obligated to provide to the sender and the intended recipient the name or identification of the publication, and the specific reason why it is being censored. This reason must be legitimately related to penological interested as laid out in Turner v. Safely, and reiterated in your Department Operations Manual (see DOM Section 54010.16).
We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
S. M. Salinas, Warden
Deuel Vocational Institution
P.O. Box 400
Tracy, CA 95378-0004
24 June 2011
Dear Warden Salinas,
Recently a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 18 (January/February 2011) was denied to prisoners held at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). The prisoners affected by this censorship were Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, Mr. X, and Mr. X. The newsletter was returned to MIM Distributors with "Banned since 2006" written on the publication and highlighted. We were not sent a CDCR Form 1819 regarding this newsletter.
According to Prison Legal News v. CDCR, and your own Department Operations Manual, each publication and letter must be reviewed on an individual basis, and it is illegal to ban a distributor who is not on the centralized list that is put out by CDCR annually (see DOM Section 54010.21). In 2008, MIM was not on the banned list, and we have reason to believe we are not on the 2011 list either, because no one has referred us to it. So we request that you stop this illegal ban on all publications coming from MIM Distributors, and start determining the allowance of publications on an individual basis. Of course, if MIM Distributors or Under Lock & Key are on the centralized list of disallowed publications, please send us a copy.
Additionally, allow me to remind you that if you should determine a publication to be inadmissible at DVI, you are legally obligated to provide to the sender and the intended recipient the name or identification of the publication, and the specific reason why it is being censored. This reason must be legitimately related to penological interested as laid out in Turner v. Safely, and reiterated in your Department Operations Manual (see DOM Section 54010.16).
We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.
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