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Publisher Sues Corrections Corporation of America Over Censorship of Books Sent to Prisoners (09/02/2009)
Phoenix, AZ – Prison Legal News (PLN), a non-profit monthly publication that reports on criminal justice-related issues, filed suit today in U.S. District Court against Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the nation's largest for-profit prison firm. PLN contends that CCA violated its rights under the First Amendment and the Arizona Constitution by censoring books sent to prisoners at the company's Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona.

Alabama Department Of Corrections Ends Ban Of Prisoners With HIV From Work Release (08/13/2009)
MONTGOMERY, AL – After more than two decades of intense advocacy by the American Civil Liberties Union, Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) officials this week ended a longstanding ban of prisoners with HIV from participating in the state's work release program. The ACLU and other advocates have long argued that the ban was an arbitrary and discriminatory denial to participation in a program essential for aiding prisoners' successful reintegration into society.

Virginia Jail Ends Censorship Of Religious Material After ACLU Letter (08/10/2009)
STAFFORD, VA – In response to a letter sent last month by the American Civil Liberties Union, a Virginia jail has agreed to change its policies regarding prison mail to ensure that biblical passages and other religious material sent to prisoners are no longer censored. The ACLU's letter complained that religious material sent to detainees at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, VA was being withheld by jail officials.

ACLU Seeks End To Censorship Of Religious Material By Virginia Jail (07/09/2009)
STAFFORD, VA – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Virginia today demanded that officials at the Rappahannock Regional Jail immediately end their illegal practice of censoring religious material sent to detainees.

ACLU Fights For Prisoner Punished For Exercising Freedom Of Speech (07/08/2009)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The ACLU Foundation of Louisiana today filed a lawsuit on behalf of prisoner Ernest Billizone, who was punished by prison officials for filing simple written complaints about employee behavior. Although his written complaints contained no threats of violence, foul language or unlawful or improper action, the prison punished him. In one instance, he was punished for "spreading rumors."

ACLU Secures Prisoner's Right To Practice Catholic Faith (07/01/2009)
NEW ORLEANS, LA Today the ACLU Foundation of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections filed a settlement securing the right of prisoner Donald Lee Leger to practice his Catholic faith by participating in Catholic Mass and Confession. Leger, a Catholic death row inmate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, sued prison officials after being unable to regularly participate in Catholic Mass, although Baptist religious services were routinely held on death row. Leger also was made to watch and listen to predominately Baptist programming on a television directly placed outside his cell.

Commission Finds Federal Law Denies Prison Rape Victims Access To Courts (06/23/2009)
WASHINGTON – The bipartisan National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) released a report today finding that a law intended to reduce frivolous lawsuits by prisoners denies victims of prison rape and other abuse access to the federal courts. The report proposes national standards to eliminate prison rape and calls on Congress to reform key provisions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), passed in 1996. In its report, the commission also recommends reduction in prison overcrowding; improved training for prison and jail employees for better detection of sexual assault; improved classification of vulnerable prisoners to protect them from abuse; and better psychological and medical treatment for sexual abuse victims.

ACLU Lawsuit Challenges Secret Creation Of Isolated Housing Units In Federal Prisons (06/18/2009)
TERRE HAUTE, IN – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Indiana today filed a legal complaint challenging the unprecedented and secret creation of housing units inside federal prisons in which prisoners are condemned to live in stark isolation from the outside world. Called Communication Management Units (CMUs) and designed to house prisoners viewed by the government as terrorists, they were established in violation of federal laws requiring public scrutiny and today are disproportionately inhabited by Muslim prisoners – many of whom have never been convicted of terrorism-related crimes.

Prison Litigation Reform Act Denies Access To Courts For Over 2 Million People (06/16/2009)
WASHINGTON – In light of a new report showing that a law intended to reduce so-called “frivolous lawsuits” by prisoners has resulted in barring serious prison abuse cases from reaching the courts, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to amend parts of the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996 (PLRA). The law requires prisoners to exhaust the internal grievance process of their facilities and allege a physical injury due to mistreatment in order to seek redress in the courts.

ACLU Says Bureau Of Prisons Again Attempting To Illegally Ban Religious Material (03/17/2009)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union today filed formal comments opposing a proposed rule by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that would illegally empower prison officials to ban vital religious works from prison chapel libraries, despite a law passed last year prohibiting them from doing so. The proposed rule, which would allow material to be banned based on a mere determination that it "could…suggest" violence or criminal behavior, directly contradicts the Second Chance Act which places strict limits on what material BOP officials may outlaw.

ACLU Of Louisiana Fights For Catholic And Muslim Prisoners' Right To Worship Freely At Angola State Prison (02/09/2009)
New Orleans - Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana filed lawsuits on behalf of a Catholic and a Muslim prisoner at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, each being denied the right to practice his religion freely.

Law Court Will Consider Prison Phone Rate Case (01/14/2009)
PORTLAND – The issue of jurisdiction over the phone rates that are charged to Maine prisoners will be considered by the state's highest court in oral arguments set for Thursday, Jan. 15. The state Department of Corrections is appealing a ruling by the state's Public Utilities Commission that the phone system is a utility under the PUC's jurisdiction.

ACLU Files Federal Lawsuit To Protect Religious Liberty Of New Jersey Prisoner (12/03/2008)
TRENTON, NJ – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Jersey today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a New Jersey prisoner, an ordained Pentecostal minister, who is asking the state to respect his religious freedom by restoring his right to preach.

ACLU Defends Prisoner Punished For Writing A Complaint (11/10/2008)
NEW ORLEANS - The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana filed an appeal on behalf of a prisoner given additional time in prison simply for filing a complaint about his confinement. Under both Louisiana and United States law, a prisoner must file a written complaint (called an "ARP grievance") before taking legal action to challenge the conditions of confinement. Last spring prisoner Ernest Billizone submitted a written complaint about his confinement, following guidelines set out by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

HIV-Positive Prisoners Receive More Equal Treatment in Alabama After ACLU's Efforts (11/01/2007)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- After years of advocacy by the American Civil Liberties Union, AIDS Alabama and state legislators, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has agreed to give HIV-positive prisoners greater access to visitation, educational programs, substance abuse treatment programs, and religious services. Until now, HIV-positive prisoners have been denied these programs and services offered to the general population of inmates.

New Jersey Citizens on Parole and Probation Bring Plea For Right to Vote to Human Rights Body (09/14/2006)
NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the Rutgers Law School Constitutional Litigation Clinic filed a petition today urging the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to rule that denying New Jersey citizens on parole and probation the right to vote violates universal human rights principles.

ACLU of Rhode Island Files Appeal on Behalf of Christian Prisoner Barred from Preaching at Religious Services (01/12/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island announced today that it has filed an appeal in federal court on behalf of a Christian prisoner who was barred from preaching during religious services at the state prison.

Colorado Agrees to Restore Jewish Prisoner's Kosher Diet in Response to ACLU Lawsuit (10/13/2005)
COLARADO SPRINGS -- In response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado the Department of Corrections (DOC) has agreed to resume providing kosher meals to Timothy Sheline, a Jewish prisoner whose kosher diet was revoked for one year as punishment for allegedly violating a minor dining hall rule.COLARADO SPRINGS -- In response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado the Department of Corrections (DOC) has agreed to resume providing kosher meals to Timothy Sheline, a Jewish prisoner whose kosher diet was revoked for one year as punishment for allegedly violating a minor dining hall rule.

ACLU Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Protecting Religious Liberty in Prisons (05/31/2005)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded an unusual unanimous vote by the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of a federal law that requires states to allow prisoners to practice their religious beliefs.

Minnesota Prison Officials End Censorship of ACLU Publication After Threat of Lawsuit (05/27/2005)
ST. PAUL, MN -- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded prison officials' policy revision allowing Minnesota prisoners in segregation to receive publications containing legal material. The policy change came on the eve of the ACLU's filing that would have challenged the censorship of the organization's legal journal for prisoners.