Spokane7
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August 5, 2011 in City
Postcard-only policy at jail ends
Envelopes OK again after settlement agreement
A postcards-only policy for mail to Spokane County jail inmates has been lifted. Envelopes are OK again.
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said the change took effect this week when a federal judge approved a settlement between the county and Prison Legal News – an arm of the nonprofit Human Rights Defense Center.
Prison Legal News sued the county for blocking delivery of its publications and solicitations.
In addition to limiting inmate mail to postcards, the Spokane County Jail and Geiger Corrections Center adopted a policy last year of allowing inmates to receive only certain publications.
County commissioners agreed July 19 to pay $230,000 to settle the Prison Legal News lawsuit. Besides lifting arbitrary restrictions on publications, the settlement ended the postcard policy for personal mail.
Knezovich said he was frustrated that the county backed away from the policy even though it hadn’t been found unconstitutional and wasn’t part of the lawsuit.
“We went away from the issue without even at least trying to make a stand on it,” Knezovich said.
Prison Legal News attorney Jesse Wing said the postcard requirement “had a pretty substantial chilling effect on speech” because cards hold only a few sentences and eliminate all privacy.
The settlement allows a judge to restore the postcard requirement for incoming personal mail if the U.S. Supreme Court or federal appellate courts find similar policies are permissible.
Knezovich said the postcard policy reduced costs. He said he will have to hire at least one person to screen letters for contraband.
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Ed Byrnes on August 05 at 11:21 p.m.
It was only a matter of time before the postcard only policy would be found unconstitutional. It is great to see the constitution being voluntarily applied here in Spokane. We have had a state of affairs here that would have made East Germany’s Erich Hoenecker proud.
Ed
polistra on August 06 at 2:37 a.m.
Good news for the gangsters. Common sense once again SMASHED TO BITS by the black-robed enemy saboteurs of the 9th Circuit.
drywitt99 on August 06 at 3:51 a.m.
“Knezovich…..said he will have to hire at least one person to screen letters for contraband.”
See…..job creation stimulus from the Judicial Branch.
Way to go boys and girls!!!
The_Seer on August 06 at 9:14 a.m.
pollstra: Yeah, that ol’ constitution thing can be pesky and meddlesome, eh?