Tracking Prison Censorship in the United States

Contains material that threatens or is detrimental to the security, safety, health, good order, or discipline of the facility, inmate rehabilitation or facilitates criminal activity: 1G

Cite specific article(s) and page number(s) or material(s), considered objectionable:
Page 4; Representative of material throughout the entire publication

1. Sexually explicit material which by its nature or content poses a threat or is detrimental to the security, good order or discipline of the factility, inmate rehabilitation, or facilitates criminal activity including, but not limited to, the following:

G. Excretory functions: Portrayal of actual or simulated human excretory functions, including, but not limited to, urination, defecation, or ejaculation.

Contains material that threatens or is detrimental to the security, safety, health, good order, or discipline of the facility, inmate rehabilitation or facilitates criminal activity: 1G

Cite specific article(s) and page number(s) or material(s), considered objectionable:
Page 4; Representative of material throughout the entire publication

1. Sexually explicit material which by its nature or content poses a threat or is detrimental to the security, good order or discipline of the factility, inmate rehabilitation, or facilitates criminal activity including, but not limited to, the following:

G. Excretory functions: Portrayal of actual or simulated human excretory functions, including, but not limited to, urination, defecation, or ejaculation.

Reason(s):
Depicts, describes or encourages activities which may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption
M. Engle, Mail Room Personnel

Scott Crews
Mayo Correctional Institution
8784 US Highway 27 West
Mayo, Florida 32066-3458

18 March 2015

RE: Censorship of routine mail

Dear Warden Crews,

This letter is in response to an "Unauthorized Mail Return Receipt" dated 2/11/2015 addressed to MIM Distributors and signed by mail room personnel M. Engle for a letter sent to Mr. XXX. It claims the content of the letter "Depicts, describes or encourages activities which may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption."

The letter in question includes articles on current events with a focus on news about prisons. This subject matter is not related to violence or group disruption at your facility. Therefore I am requesting that this letter be delivered to Mr. XXX (a copy of which you have on file).

If you cannot complete my request to deliver this letter then please respond to me with an explanation of what portion of the letter in question you find to be a threat.


Sincerely,