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Thought Police

I'm back in Lovely Downtown Noho and the weather is finally warm. I'm about to go sit on the stoop for the first time this year and finish Jules' book. I'll be back later but first this troublesome report. We've talked before about the failure of the current prison system to provide rehabilitation services to the inmates.

Here's a case of a functioning rehab program dismantled on questionable grounds by prison officials.

York Correctional Facility in East Lyme, said Wednesday that 15 women inmates lost up to five years of work when officials at the prison's school ordered all hard drives used for the class erased and its computer disks turned over.

The reason for this dramatic action? One of the students in Wally Lamb's class had won the prestigious $25,000 PEN American Center prize for her writing. Since she was writing about her life inside, perhaps the prison feared the exposure the award will bring. For whatever reason the program was shut down. As Lamb said, "It flies in the face of the First Amendment."

In litigation commenced by the state, the inmates successfully petitioned the court to have their work and the program restored and will not be required to forfeit the prize nor the other royalties from the sale of the book. Further, prize winner Barbara Lane will not have to pay an invoice the prison had previously delivered for $339,505, charging for room and board at $117.oo per day.

Understatement of the week goes to Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal.

"....they ought to receive the benefits of genuine rehabilitative activity because we need to provide incentives for them to lead law-abiding and productive lives."

It's good to see some sense being shown by the AG however, I think charging $117.oo per diem for bad food and a cell in an overcrowded jail should also be a crime.