FLORIDA NONPROFIT FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST LANCASTER COUNTY PRISON OVER INMATE MAIL POLICY

The Human Rights Defense Center, a Florida-based nonprofit, has filed a lawsuit against Lancaster County Prison, alleging its mail policy has blocked inmates from receiving books, magazines, and other materials.

The lawsuit, filed on October 8th, claims the nonprofit has had 125 pieces of mail returned by the prison since June 2024. The organization, which has sent materials to more than 3,000 correctional facilities since 1990, according to the complaint, says the prison's inmate mail policy is preventing its mail from reaching prisoners.

The prison's website states that personal mail has not been accepted by the county jail since June 2024. Instead, senders are directed to address mail to a digital mail processing center operated by Securus Technologies. Legal mail is an exception due to a need for confidentiality, according to the website.

According to the lawsuit, 17 of the returned items were sent back by Securus Technologies, while the remaining 108 were returned by the prison. The nonprofit says these items were addressed to inmates still in custody and were marked as "Return to Sender, Not Legal Mail" or "Return to Sender" with instructions to use the new mailing address for Securus Technologies.

The lawsuit alleges the prison violated two constitutional rights. It states, "Although the prison's mail policies do not expressly address the mailing of books and publications to prisoners, the Prison's mail policies and practices have resulted in a complete ban on books and magazines mailed by HRDC in violation of HRDC's rights as a publisher under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment."

It also claims, "Defendants failed to provide HRDC with any notice of these censorship decisions or any opportunity to appeal these censorship decisions. Therefore, Defendants' policies and practices also violate HRDC's Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process."

The Human Rights Defense Center is asking the court to require Lancaster County Prison to change its inmate mail policy and is seeking compensation for damages.

News 8 reached out to the prison for comment but has not yet received a response.

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