Jail Quits Censoring Religious Mail

By Jacqueline L. Salmon

A jail in the Washington D.C. area has backed off censoring religious messages of its detainees after receiving complaints from civil liberties and religious rights organizations.

The mother of an inmate at Rappahannock Regional Jail had complained that while her son was detained at the jail, her letters to him were stripped of religious messages. The American Civil Liberties Union said a three-page letter she sent to him in January was scissored up, leaving only the salutation, the first paragraph of the letter and the closing: "Love, mom."

Jail superintendent Joseph Higgs Jr. promised an internal investigation after the censorship came to light. As the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty points out, prison authorities can censor writings that affect prison security, but the courts have ruled that inmates can have access to religious material.

By Jacqueline L. Salmon  |  August 11, 2009; 8:52 AM ET  | Category:  God in Government Save & Share:                 
Previous: Obama to Participate in Faith-Based Call-in on Health-Care Reform | Next: Jewish Groups Argue Over Nazi Analogies

The comments to this entry are closed.