News
Judge: EPC jail can't limit inmate mail
Posted: Dec 20, 2010 8:17 PM by Stefanie Boe
DENVER (AP) - A judge has ordered the El Paso County jail to halt its policy of restricting inmates' outgoing mail to postcards after a legal challenge of the policy on constitutional grounds.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado was granted a preliminary injunction Monday blocking enforcement of the policy.
The ACLU is suing the Boulder County jail over the same practice.
The ACLU says the policy is unconstitutional because inmates are reluctant to freely express themselves and write about personal, sensitive information.
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa tells The Gazette the
department had already decided to roll back the restrictions on mail. He declined to elaborate, saying negotiations are still going on.
Maketa has said restricting outgoing mail to postcards was done to save money.
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