Public Hearing for CDCR Proposed Censorship Regulation Changes

Under the guise of “obscenity” regulations, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCr) has proposed sweeping new political censorship rules for mail going both into and out of the prisons. If these changes are approved, CDCR will permanently ban any documents it defines as "contraband," including political publications and correspondence that should be protected by First Amendment constitutional rights.

CDCR states that the purpose of these censorship rules are to forbid “publications that indicate an association with groups that are oppositional to authority and society.” This ominous language reveals the political underpinnings of the proposed changes. Prison officials are attempting to increase the political, mental and emotional isolation of people in solitary confinement struggling to resist an already crushing physical isolation.

The public comment period will close June 17, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. Any person may submit public comments in writing (by mail, by fax, or by e-mail) regarding the proposed changes. To be considered by the Department, comments must be submitted to the CDCR, Regulation and Policy Management Branch, P.O. Box 942883, Sacramento, CA 94283-0001; by fax at (916) 324-6075; or by e-mail at RPMB [at] cdcr.ca.gov before the close of the comment period.

The public hearing will take place in Sacramento. There is no oversight for the CDCR in regards to regulations so we must make our voices heard!

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Fight Prison Censorship, Free Prisoner Voices
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