https://themilitant.com/2019/06/01/join-fight-against-new-censorship-of-militant-in-florida-prisons/
Join fight against new censorship of ???Militant??? in Florida prisons!
??By Seth Galinsky
Vol. 83/No. 23
June 10, 2019
Officials at the Florida State Prison and the New River Correctional
Institution, both in Raiford, informed the Militant May 28 that they had
impounded two more issues of the working-class newsweekly. That brings
to five the number of issues impounded in Florida since mid-April,
violating the constitutional rights of both the paper and its
subscribers behind bars.
The prison system???s Literature Review Committee overturned two of the
first impoundments ??? of issues no. 12 and 17 ??? but upheld the ban on
issue no. 15, as usual with no explanation. The Militant will appeal the
ban on issues no. 18 and 19 and calls for reversal of the censorship of
no. 15. In Florida, if any warden impounds an issue of a newspaper,
every other prison is instructed to follow suit.
Attempting to justify censoring issue no. 15, prison officials pointed
to a feature article on the New York leg of the national tour of Albert
Woodfox, a former Black Panther Party member who spent nearly 44 years
in solitary confinement in the notorious Angola, Louisiana,
penitentiary. The warden at Florida State Prison claimed the article
encourages activities which ???may lead to the use of physical violence or
group disruption??? or otherwise ???presents a threat to the security, good
order, or discipline??? of the prison.
Issue no. 18 was censored for reporting on the Militant ???s appeal of the
ban on issue no. 15. Prison officials claimed that a photo showing the
front page of the censored issue was ???inadmissible.??? In addition they
charged that the ???article about FDOC and mistreatment of inmates ???
presents a threat to security.???
Issue no. 19 was impounded by New River officials because it carried an
interview by the Militant?? with Woodfox.
Woodfox has been promoting his book Solitary: My Story of Transformation
and Hope. Reviews of his book and reports on his tour have been printed
in media from coast to coast including the New York Times?? and
Washington Post.
???I???ve never preached violence,??? Woodfox told the Militant?? in the
interview. ???The violence always came from the prison administration and
guards trying to stop us from organizing and exposing what was going
on.??? Woodfox is well known for having organized to unite prisoners
against rape and violence at Angola prison.
Fighting each ban ??? even if successful ??? places a burden in time and
resources on the Militant?? and delays timely delivery to the paper???s
subscribers.
???Will Florida prison authorities try to ban every issue that covers
Woodfox???s book tour, or any reports on our fight to overturn their
censorship? The Militant?? will not stop telling the truth,??? Militant??
editor John Studer said May 28.
???There is nothing in our coverage that threatens violence or disruption.
Like the New York Times, Washington Post?? and dozens of other papers
have done, we simply tell the story of what Woodfox says and what
Louisiana prison authorities did to him and countless others.???
???These officials really don???t like the Militant ???s politics, but it???s
unconstitutional to censor the press because you disagree,??? Studer said.
???And we defend the right of our subscribers behind bars to read material
of their choosing, to think for themselves, to be part of the world.???
???We call on our readers to help win support for the fight to overturn
Florida prison censorship,??? Studer said. ???Join with Amnesty
International USA, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, and
others in this important political rights fight. Contact union
officials, co-workers, student groups, church organizations, political
and civil rights groups to send letters to the Literature Review
Committee calling for lifting the ban on the Militant. Every statement
and letter makes a difference.???
In This Issue
Front Page Articles ???Thousands rally, demand women???s right to abortion!
???US hands off Venezuela! US hands off of Cuba!
???Rulers political crisis grows as UK workers say, ???Get out of EU!???
???Over the top! ???Militant??? goes over goals in paper, book, fund drives
???2019 version of Roosevelt New Deal no road forward for working people
???Join fight against new censorship of ???Militant??? in Florida prisons!
Feature Articles ???Socialist Workers Party 2019 election campaign program
???SWP: Oppose US threats on Iran, protest anti-Semitism
Also In This Issue ???Every ???Militant??? issue from 1928 to today is online!
??????Nationalize PG&E, put it under workers control???
???Australia election ???shocker??? reflects working-class anger
???US capitalist rulers ban Huawei in trade squeeze on Beijing
???Washington???s moves against Iran hit workers hardest
???Campaign to expand reach of ???Militant,??? books, fund April 6-May 28
(final chart)
On the Picket Line ???Union City, South Hayward teachers strike for higher pay
Books of the Month ??????Cuba???s revolution taught us we could do the same
thing here???
25, 50 and 75 years ago
?? Copyright 2019 The Militant?? -?? 306 W. 37th Street, 13th floor -?? New
York, NY 10018?? -?? themilitant@xxxxxx
--
---
Carl Sagan
??? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. ???
??? Carl Sagan
