ST. LOUIS -- U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled today that Morgan County has seven days to adopt a policy to notify senders of mail to inmates when their mail has been rejected. The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri filed a suit in July. ACLU-EM client Tara Ballenger had regularly sent printed materials, such as letters, newspaper and magazine clippings, and books to a detainee, who did not receive items she sent. Ballenger never received notice that the items were confiscated, and none of the items were returned to her.
“It is important that our jails and prisons have uniform policies that let people know if their mail is not getting through,” says Jeffrey A. Mittman, executive director of the ACLU-EM. “We hope that Morgan County will serve as an example for other counties across the state that may currently not have policies in place.”
“Our First Amendment’s protection from government censorship is strongest when we recognize this right for all citizens, including those who write to individuals in our jails,” explains Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU-EM.