Feb. 6, 2024 — Today, an unknown staff member at the Idaho State Correctional Institution censored the following items, sent to me over JPay.
1) A message including the text of both “New Report from The Sentencing Project Reveals Low Rates of Recidivism Among People Convicted of Crimes of a Sexual Nature,” January 30, 2024; and The Sentencing Project PRESS RELEASE “Proposed Maryland Legislation Would Harm Children and Threaten Progress on Juvenile Justice Reform,” January 31, 2024
2) A message containing the text and chart images included in the article by The Sentencing Project “FACT SHEET Life in Prison Without Parole in Louisiana,” by Ashley Nellis, Ph.D. January 23, 2024
Though I received two JPay censorship notifications. Neither informed of me the reason for the censorship. They also didn’t specify who among my contacts was censored. I learned from my father over the phone that it was he who sent both messages, and that JPay notified him both articles were censored for “Information related to the crime or identity of another offender.” SOP 503.02.01.001
He also told me that the allegation was bogus, that the messages didn’t contain any information that could be used as described in the censorship notification. Whenever he sends me research materials he takes care to obscure the names of others who are incarcerated.
I don’t expect to receive the Electronic Mail Contraband and Denial Form that IDOC policy requires staff to complete and deliver because I’m still waiting for the form from when “First Amend This!, Oct. ’23” was censored.
The Sentencing Project is described by the PARC National Prisoner Resource Directory as “a national policy research and advocacy organization that works for a fair and effective criminal justice system by promoting sentencing reform and alternatives to incarceration. They produce reports on prison-related topics, including prison populations nationally, state-by-state data, life sentences, voting rights and more.”