Tracking Prison Censorship in the United States

Menard Correctional Center
Attn: Publication Review Officer
711 Kaskaskia Street
PO Box 711
Menard, IL 62259

August 31, 2009

Publication Review Officer,

This letter is to request a review of the denial of a publication titled Under Lock & Key issue 9 (July 2009), published and distributed by MIM Distributors, San Francisco, CA. This publication was denied to Mr. X, Mr. Y, and Mr. Z on August 6, 2009.

The reasons this publication were denied are listed as threatening the good order of the institution, making security threat group references, and depicting violence. This is similar to the Menard mailroom's censorship of Under Lock & Key issue 8 (May 2009). It was censored because it "threatened the good order of the institution," but this decision was overturned by the Publication Review Officer. So, we already know that ULK, on the whole, is not a threat to the good order of the institution, and that there is not sufficient evidence to prove such.

Additionally, there is not a legitimate newspaper in the world that does not print articles that "depict violence." Unless you are going to ban the New York Times and all other newspapers from Menard Correctional Center, we don't think this is a sufficient example that ULK threatens rehabilitation by depicting violence. Similarly, newspapers frequently report on the activity of groups that your institution probably labels "security threat groups."

Mentioning a group's name, or referring to them indirectly, especially in the context of asking for peace and unity, which is quite the opposite of violence, does not "depict, describe, or encourage activities that may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption," as this denial claims. According to Walker v. Sumner (9th Cir. 1990) 917 F.2d 382, 385 "prison authorities cannot rely on general or conclusory assertions to support their policies." What proof do you have that "STG references" in any way threaten the institution? Especially becuase we are asking for peace, and an end to STG violence.

We appreciate you investigating further into this error and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

MIM(Prisons)