https://themilitant.com/2018/08/11/militant-files-appeal-against-ban-by-illinois-federal-prison/
‘Militant’ files appeal against ban by Illinois federal prison
By Brian Williams
Vol. 82/No. 31
August 20, 2018
The fight continues against the move by prison authorities at the
Federal Bureau of Prisons’ medium security facility in Greenville,
Illinois, to ban the Militant. Authorities there have prevented a
subscriber from getting the paper since the June 11 issue.
The Militant is banned because it “is a newsweekly journal associated
with the Socialist Workers Party and encourages change by protesting and
striking,” Warden Tom Werlich wrote in his July 12 notice of rejection.
“Such publication can encourage inmates to protest and conduct work
strikes which become a institution security matter.”
“It would be difficult to conjure up a more clear, explicit, indeed
stunning admission of government censorship based purely on political
and ideological disagreements,” Militant attorney David Goldstein of
the prominent civil liberties law firm Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard,
Krinsky and Lieberman wrote in the paper’s appeal filed Aug. 7. The ban
“violates the Militant’s rights to due process and equal protection,” he
stated. It “must be reversed, and the rejected issues delivered to the
inmate subscriber.”
Articles featured in the banned issues report on a strike of rail
workers in Canada, by truck drivers in Brazil, protests against the
shooting of a Black youth in Pittsburgh, and a rally in Ohio against
threats to the pensions of retired coal miners and Teamsters.
“The Militant has been delivered to inmates in the Federal prison
system at least since the 1950s,” Goldstein wrote. “To our knowledge, no
Federal prison has ever refused delivery of any issue of the Militant
to any inmate (with one exception involving USP Florence, CO, in 2014,
which rejection was reversed)” on appeal.
Federal Bureau of Prisons regulations explicitly state, Goldstein
quotes, “The Warden may not establish an excluded list of publications.”
‘Flagrant attack on First Amendment rights’
“Banning the Militant is a flagrant attack on First Amendment rights
of freedom of speech and the press,” said Militant editor John Studer.
“If not reversed it would set a dangerous precedent for impounding the
Militant and other publications whose views prison officials dislike
from the entire federal prison system.
“Workers behind bars have the right to read the political views they
want, including about the struggles of workers and farmers,” he said.
“It helps them be part of the world and their class.”
“By refusing to allow prisoners to read the Militant’s reports of
current prison conditions and protests around the country,” Karin
Deutsch Karlekar of PEN America wrote in a letter calling for
overturning the ban, “Federal Bureau of Prisons is censoring the
communication of facts and opinions which everyone has the right to
consider for themselves.”
The Militant is asking supporters of free speech and the rights of
workers behind bars to send letters demanding reversal of the ban
against the Militant at the Greenville federal prison to Regional
Director Sara M. Revell, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Gateway Complex
Tower II, 8th floor, 400 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101-2492.
Censorship in Florida
In another move to censor the paper, two subscribers behind bars in
Florida at the Union Correctional Institution informed the Militant
they haven’t received any issues of the paper for months. Neither the
inmates nor the Militant have received any notice or explanation why, a
violation of state prison regulations.
“The Militant requests that the withheld issues be immediately
delivered to the inmate subscribers,” Militant attorney David Goldstein
wrote to the prison’s warden August 2, “or that Union provide the
Militant with the required notices of impoundments or rejections, so
that the Militant may appeal the decisions to the Department of
Corrections Literature Review Committee.”
The overwhelming majority of rejections of the Militant in Florida,
Goldstein noted, have been overturned on appeal.
Among those who have spoken out against prison censorship of the
Militant are the American Civil Liberties Union, National Lawyers
Guild, Amnesty International, PEN America and prisoner rights, church
and other organizations.
In This Issue
Front Page Articles •SWP takes campaigns to workers’ doorsteps
•SWP: Build fighting alliance of workers and farmers!
•Workers have nothing to gain in US moves on China trade
•‘Militant’ files appeal against ban by Illinois federal prison
•New round of protests in Iran oppose impact of rulers’ wars
•US, NKorea denuclearization moves good for working class
Feature Articles •NY forum takes up crisis facing workers, farmers in
Nicaragua
Also In This Issue •Debate in UK deepens over Jew-hatred in Labour Party
•‘New York should stop trying to overturn verdict in Bah killing’
•Who were the combatants who began Cuba’s revolution?
On the Picket Line •Locked-out Quebec aluminum workers win solidarity
•British Columbia workers strike casino bosses over pay, dignity
25, 50 and 75 years ago
© Copyright 2018 The Militant - 306 W. 37th Street, 13th floor - New
York, NY 10018 - themilitant@xxxxxx