Tracking Prison Censorship in the United States

Linda Hollman, Director of Education
Building 2
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12226-2050

16 August, 2009

Dear Madam,

I thank you for responding to my last letter to the Committee regarding the history of censorship of mail from MIM Distributors at Cayuga Correctional Facility. Yet, after numerous letters to the Central Office and to the Cayuga Media Review office over the last year, mail is still being returned stamped ?Not on approved correspondence list,? including mail sent to Mr. XXXXXX XXXXXX in late July.

Both you and Martin Raftis from Cayuga assured me that MIM Distributors is not a disapproved correspondent and that mail from MIM Distributors will be reviewed for approval on a case-by-case basis. Would it be possible for mailroom staff at Cayuga to be informed of the rules and the policies that you are telling me are in place? Or should I just assume that after a year of writing that the Department has no intention of following the rules?

I sincerely hope to resolve this issue, but will not continue to waste my time.

Thank you,

Central Office Media Review Committee
Building 2
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12226-2050

22 April, 2009

Dear Sir/Madam,

This letter is regarding a history of censorship of mail sent by MIM Distributors to readers being held in Cayuga Correctional Facility, dating back to at least September of 2008. Recently, mail sent to Mr. XXXXXX. XXXXXX, YYYYYYY, and ZZZZZZZ was all returned with a stamp reading, ?Return to Sender Not on Approved Correspondence List.? I sent a letter to Cayuga to inquire about what the ?Approved Correspondence List? was and how one gets on such a list. I have yet to receive a response, but I did receive additional mail to Mr. XXXXXX. XXXXXX returned to MIM Distributors for the same reason given above.

Is there a regulation particular to Cayuga that requires someone to be put on an approved list to send mail to someone there? If so what is the process to get on that list? If not, how can we assure that mail from MIM Distributors is received by prisoners at Cayuga in the future?


Thank you for your time,

Media Review Committee
Cayuga Correctional Facility
PO Box 1186
Moravia, NY 13118-1186

5 April, 2009

Dear Sir/Madam,

This letter is regarding a history of censorship of mail sent by MIM Distributors to readers being held in Cayuga Correctional Facility. Most recently, mail sent to Mr. XXX, Mr. YYY and Mr. ZZZZ was all returned with a stamp reading, ?Return to Sender Not on Approved Correspondence List.? Is there a regulation particular to Cayuga that requires someone to be put on an approved list to send mail to someone there? If so what is the process to get on that list?

We know this is not a systemwide regulation as MIM?s mail gets to prisoners throughout the NYSDOCS. We hope to resolve this issue with you soon.

Thank you for your time,

Media Review Committee
Cayuga Correctional Facility
PO Box 1186
Moravia, NY 13118-1186

5 April, 2009

Dear Sir/Madam,

This letter is regarding a history of censorship of mail sent by MIM Distributors to readers being held in Cayuga Correctional Facility. Most recently, mail sent to Mr. XXX, Mr. YYY and Mr. ZZZZ was all returned with a stamp reading, ?Return to Sender Not on Approved Correspondence List.? Is there a regulation particular to Cayuga that requires someone to be put on an approved list to send mail to someone there? If so what is the process to get on that list?

We know this is not a systemwide regulation as MIM?s mail gets to prisoners throughout the NYSDOCS. We hope to resolve this issue with you soon.

Thank you for your time,

Media Review Committee
Cayuga Correctional Facility
PO Box 1186
Moravia, NY 13118-1186

5 April, 2009

Dear Sir/Madam,

This letter is regarding a history of censorship of mail sent by MIM Distributors to readers being held in Cayuga Correctional Facility. Most recently, mail sent to Mr. XXX, Mr. YYY and Mr. ZZZZ was all returned with a stamp reading, ?Return to Sender Not on Approved Correspondence List.? Is there a regulation particular to Cayuga that requires someone to be put on an approved list to send mail to someone there? If so what is the process to get on that list?

We know this is not a systemwide regulation as MIM?s mail gets to prisoners throughout the NYSDOCS. We hope to resolve this issue with you soon.

Thank you for your time,