Support continues to build from unionists, civil liberties groups and others demanding authorities overturn the unconstitutional ban on six issues of the Militant in Florida prisons.
On April 1 the paper received notice from the Florida Department of Corrections Literature Review Committee that the Militant’s appeal on issues nos. 4, 5 and 6 had been rejected. Authorities had banned those issues, claiming the paper’s coverage of demonstrations for immigrant rights in Minneapolis “encourages riot, insurrection” and “rebellion” and were “a threat to the security of the prison.”
“We find nothing in the articles you have banned to be as you say ‘dangerous, inflammatory or encouraging insurrection,’” Neighbors United, an organization of Somali small-business owners at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis, wrote to the Literature Review Committee April 13. “In fact, these articles continuously advocate for peaceful, union-led protests.”
The letter, signed by 23 members of the organization, pointed out, “We were personally affected by the recent ICE operations in Minneapolis. We are familiar with the Militant Newspaper coverage of the peaceful protests.
“We ask that you deliver the issues of the Militant nos. 4, 5, and 6 in 2026 that you have withheld.”
On April 10 the Militant received new impoundment notices on issue nos. 11 and 12, citing front-page articles “Join ‘Militant’ fight to overturn ban by prison officials in Florida,” and “Prison bans on ‘Militant’ escalate in Florida, help fight to overturn them!”
The ban on the Militant “is a blatant violation of the constitutional rights of prisoners to receive and read a newspaper of their choice and form their own opinions, and of the right of the Militant to reach its subscribers,” Bill Beaulieu, a member of National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 4016 in Illinois, wrote to the Literature Review Committee April 1.
“Characterizing the front page articles as ‘dangerously inflammatory’ and posing a security risk to the institution is a misrepresentation,” Rufina Reyes, the executive director of La Resistencia, wrote to the LRC April 7. La Resistencia is an immigrant rights organization in Washington state.
August Nimtz, a professor at the University of Minnesota, wrote the Literature Review Committee opposing the ban on the Militant’s coverage of the “anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis where I live and which I’ve witnessed.
“I’ve shared, in fact, the articles with students in a course I teach here,” he said. “If my students have the right to read the articles, inmates should have the same constitutional right to do the same.”
Prisoner sends appreciation
The Militant received a letter from a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution Three Rivers in southern Texas April 6 saying that he had been given a backlog of issues that had been withheld from him since last December by prison authorities.
“I’m up to date and I did receive other issues from December 25. Thank you so much!” the prisoner wrote. “I appreciate the Militant newspaper staff and the lawyer. Please continue to send me more and I look forward for the support you provide.”
The impoundment notice from Three Rivers sent to the Militant March 2 had not cited a single headline, article or photo to justify the ban, which was a violation of Federal Bureau of Prisons regulations. Days after Militant attorney David Goldstein filed an appeal against the ban, prison officials said they would deliver the past issues and “apologized for the inconvenience.”
The fight against the unconstitutional bans in Florida continues! Help get letters from unions, political rights groups and prominent individuals. Send them to the Literature Review Committee, Florida Department of Corrections, 501 South Calhoun St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2500, or email Melvin.Herring@fdc.myflorida.com and Saritza.Legault@fdc.myflorida.com, with a copy to themilitant@mac.com.