Colorado loosens rules on inmate reading material

As part of a settlement, the Colorado Department of Corrections has loosened its restrictions on inmate books and other written materials. "The DOC has agreed to a significant systemwide reform of its standards and procedures for reviewing incoming reading material," said Hugh Gottschalk, an American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado attorney. The 2000 lawsuit was filed on behalf of a publisher's association, eight publishers and seven prisoners, who claimed the prison system was censoring books, newspapers, magazines and political commentary. The suit was settled in August and the Corrections Department made policy changes last month, spokeswoman Alison Morgan said. The department will train employees to identify materials that are still prohibited and those that are not, Morgan said. [more]