Religious censorship in American prisons infringes on the constitutional right of all citizens, including prisoners, to practice religion freely without government interference. Still, in 2007, under the Standardized Chapel Library Project, many religious books were scoured from chapel prison libraries in an effort to censor certain content. Through the efforts of concerned inmates, the public, lawmakers, and the ACLU, the Bureau of Prisons returned some of the religious books that were taken. Recent situations imply that it is possible that religious censorship in American prisons continues today to some degree, well below the radar of the public eye.
The Standardized Chapel Library Project to Censor Religious Books in Chapel Prison Libraries
In 2007, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) implemented the Standardized Chapel Library Project. The impetus behind the move to censor religious books from chapel prison libraries was a 2004 report by the Office of the Inspector General in the Justice Department. The report suggested steps that prisons should follow to prevent the recruitment and congregation of militant Islamic groups and other religious groups. The report was a reaction to the events around the September 11th attacks.
The BOP, according the the The New York Times (September 10,2007) article written by Laurie Goodstein, "Prisons Purging Books on Faith from Libraries," told their prison chaplains to get rid of books, tapes, CD's and videos which were not on a master list of acceptable religious media. The list included one hundred and fifty approved books for each of twenty religions. As a result of this act of religious censorship, hundreds of thousands of texts were taken away, leaving some chapel prison libraries with only a handful of remaining media.
Many prisoners and prison chaplains who had been reading and using the texts for years were extremely upset to have their rights, and their spiritual outlet taken away. As a result, lawsuits were filed. Also, lawmakers, the ACLU, and the public became involved, successfully pressuring the BOP to return many of the books months later. However, as of the summer of 2009, the BOP has proposed a partial form of government control of religious books, as they want to censor any material which they deem to potentially encourage violent or negative behavior.
Religious Censorship of Mail Sent to Prisoners
Not only is there a problem of religious censorship in the chapel prison libraries, but there has been an issue with religious material sent through the mail to prisoners. One particular incident which was made public thanks to the efforts of the ACLU, raises the issue of widespread religious censorship in American prisons — do inmates have free access to all media that is religious an spiritual in nature, or is this information restricted?
According to a press release put out by the ACLU on July 9, 2009, "Ban of Biblical Passages and Other Material Unconstitutional," prison officials at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Virginia were routinely censoring religious material sent to inmates. The issue was brought to light by a mother who had been sending her son biblical content to uplift his spirits and help him during his time in prison. All religious-related content was being removed before the son viewed the letters from his mother.
The ACLU contacted the prison, requesting a written guarantee that the jail would discontinue its censoring of religious material. The superintendent of the facility agreed to allow religious content be sent to prisoners. He also defended his policies, saying that it was not particularly religious content that was being censored, but internet content, which happened to be religious in nature. Either way, the Virginia institution changed their policies in favor of religious freedom.
Efforts of the ACLU Against Censorship in American Prisons
The ACLU, under their National Prison Project, has consistently made efforts to secure religious and civil freedoms of prisoners. Despite their efforts, religious censorship in American prisons is difficult to monitor. Policies vary from prison to prison, and the BOP, which oversees the entire federal system, continues to push form some level of censorship. It is only when individual inmates who are aware of their rights to access to religious media, speak out against prison censorship. Then the public is made aware of the problem. Public opinion is the ultimate defense against censorship, which is why the ACLU continues to draw these issues to the public's attention.
Sources:
American Civil Liberties Union
Loo, Jamie. "Restriction on Religious Publications Considered." (McCormick Freedom Project, July 24, 2009).
Brenna Coleman - Brenna is a freelance writer focusing on natural health and beauty. She has written hundreds of articles, helping readers find ways to ...
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