An across-the-board ban on the Militant — on all issues of the paper — has been imposed by the Federal Correctional Institution Three Rivers in southern Texas, located between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. On March 2, the Militant received an impoundment notice on an inmate who subscribed in December, along with five returned issues.
Signed by Warden Richard Luna, the notice says, “A publication is rejected if it is determined detrimental to the security, good order, or discipline of the institution or if it might facilitate the continuation of criminal activity.” It also says that the Militant “contains information that will hinder the safety operations of the prison.”
But the notice does not cite a single headline, article or photo to justify the ban. This is a violation of the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons own regulation, which says any impoundment “must contain reference to the specific article(s) or material(s) considered objectionable.”
Another federal prison rule says, “The Warden may not reject a publication solely because its content is religious, philosophical, political, social or sexual, or because its content is unpopular or repugnant.”
The Militant is appealing the ban.