Tracking Prison Censorship in the United States

(sent to MIM(Prisons) from prisoner)

The item(s) of mail is being returned for you for the reason(s) indicated:

E. Other: The publication shall be treated as having been found to be detrimental to the security, order, disciplinary or rehabilitative interest of tehe Dept.

F. Inmate Appeal for Rejection of Publication (see section VI.J of SOP) [state reason for appeal of rejection] Per Legal Dept in Atlanga, GA (this was handwritten in by GDC staff)

You are hereby advised that the following issue(s) of publication(s) sent to an offender of the Virginia Department of Corrections have been disapproved for delivery to offenders of the Department:

MIM, Under Lock and Key, #48, Jan/Feb 2016, pages 9 and 18.

for the following reasons:

F. Material that depicts, describes, or promotes gang bylaws, initiations, organizational structure, codes, or other gang-related actiity or association.

you may obtain an independent review of this decision by writing, within fifteen calendar days, to the Deputy Director, Division of Operations, Virginia Department of Corrections, P.O. Box 26963, Richmond, Virginia 23261.

Sincerely,

Melissa Welch
Chairman, Publication Review Committee

You are hereby advised that the following issue(s) of publication(s) sent to an offender of the Virginia Department of Corrections have been disapproved for delivery to offenders of the Department:

MIM Theory, Nov. 14, 2001, Vol. 6 No. 1, page 98.

for the following reasons:

F. Material that depicts, describes, or promotes gang bylaws, initiations, organizational structure, codes, or other gang-related actiity or association.

you may obtain an independent review of this decision by writing, within fifteen calendar days, to the Deputy Director, Division of Operations, Virginia Department of Corrections, P.O. Box 26963, Richmond, Virginia 23261.

Sincerely,

Melissa Welch
Chairman, Publication Review Committee

The following is an appeal against the infringement of my rights by the above specified state prison unit and it’s M.S.C.P. (mail system coordinating panel) which has denied my July/August 2016 issue No 51 of Under Lock and Key.

Said denial came on or about: 30 August 2016 by the TDCJ – CID’s MSCP department who failed to notify me of the interception and denial at that time, rather than ½ ma month later, of its arrival via the United States Postal Service.

When I was finally informed, it was half a month after TDCJ-MSCP received, then denied it. Their supposed reason for denial was that “The issue on page one promotes work stoppage – and prison disruption.”

On the other hand, should one or more of the states captives, simply decided, of their own free will, not to work with no prompting by teaching one of his supposed constitutionally protected rights? What or whom else is and will be the party to blame? And for peacefully assembling to petition the states government for a redress of grievances. How else could or would the states prison injustice justify the mistreatment of its prisoners in the denial of our due process and right to be secure in our both persons and papers.

Finally, it is obvious that "if" one choses to participate in the peaceful assembling to petition the states government? It is denied. However, TDCJ-CID clearly has no problem in demanding of its captives to: work or labor, free of payment (or get a disciplinary report) rather than hands on physical job training, as well as, money to sufficiently learn to manage money for a successful rehabilitation and transition into the working class of citizens. Who is monitoring and censoring that? Is the state and it's employees above justice?

I request that the July/August 2016 issue of No. 51 of Under Lock and Key be removed from the state-wide banning. And said publication is rerouted to its proper recipient for whom they were sent to by mail.

Grievance response: The issue presented is not grievable
(no signature or name)

You are hereby advised that the following issue(s) of publication(s) sent to an offender of the Virginia Department of Corrections have been disapproved for delivery to offenders of the Department:

Under Lock & Key, MIM, Mar/Apr 2016 No. 49

for the following reasons:

F. Material that depicts, describes, or promotes gang bylaws, initiations, organizational structure, codes, or other gang-related actiity or association.

you may obtain an independent review of this decision by writing, within fifteen calendar days, to the Deputy Director, Division of Operations, Virginia Department of Corrections, P.O. Box 26963, Richmond, Virginia 23261.

Sincerely,

Melissa Welch
Chairman, Publication Review Committee

Please be advised that TDCJ mailrooms are denying issue #51 on the grounds that it promotes work stoppage and prison disruption. It appears that the mailrooms are denying it because of MSCP. I have appealed the denial of the issue to the DRC and requested that if the DRC still denies the issue, that it be held onto for legal action. Unsurprisingly, the TDCJ is so scared of offenders "laying it down", they want to now censor any material related to it.