The ACLU sent a letter this morning accusing the Rappahannock Regional Jail of taking part in the unconstitutional practice of censorship.
In the letter, sent to the jail’s superintendent, Joseph Higgs, the ACLU told the jail to "remedy the illegal practices" of cutting out biblical references from letters written to inmates.
The letter cites the specific example of a woman named Anna Williams, who sent a letter to her son, an inmate at the jail.
"Using scissors or a hobby knife, Jail officials literally cut the religious portions out of Ms. Williams' letters and delivered only snippets that did not quote the Bible,” the letter states.
By the time it got to Williams' son, the letter states, so much of it was cut, the only thing that could be read was "the salutation, the first paragraph of the letter, and the closing, 'Love Mom'."
The letter was sent by representatives of the ACLU who work for a division called the National Prison Project and backed by a slew of other organizations.
David Shapiro, an attorney with the Prison Project, said this morning that he anticipates the jail will change their practices after they are made aware of the constitutional issues.
"We fully expect that the jail will realize this is unconstitutional," he said.
Shapiro added that the constitutional issue goes beyond only religious passages.
According to the jail's letter policy, they also redact statements that appear to be taken from the Internet, a constitutional violation, Shapiro asserts.
The ACLU's letter cites court cases showing precedents that find the practices illegal.
At the end of the letter, the ACLU makes a request that the jail not censor letters purely because they contain biblical information and to revise its inmate mail policy.
"We look forward to hearing from you and hope that this matter can be resolved without resort to litigation,” the letter concludes.
Higgs could not be reached by The Free Lance-Star this morning for comment.
Representatives at the jail would not comment today, directing calls to their attorney Bill Hefty.
Hefty would only acknowledge that he'd received a copy of the letter and was "looking into it."
He refused to say how or if the jail would respond to the ACLU.
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
ebiltz@freelancestar.com
Inmate Mail Policy
* Only 20 pictures are allowed per inmate. No nudity pictures accepted.
* Newspapers, magazines and soft back books may be accepted with prior approval. No hard back books are allowed.
* The only items accepted in inmate mail are: letters, money orders and no more than 20 pictures. Any other items included in the envelope are unauthorized and will be destroyed and not placed in inmate property. These items are to include stickers, address labels, internet items, coloring pages, puzzles, and magazine/newspaper articles. Items with a monetary value, such as stamps, will be placed in the inmate’s property.
* If mailing via the U.S. Postal Service, the envelope should be addressed as follows:
Inmate's Name
Rappahannock Regional Jail
P.O. Box 3300
Stafford, VA 22555-3300