Private Prison Denies Books, ACLU Says

PHOENIX (CN) – The Corrections Corporation of America denies inmates access to books at its private prison in Eloy, Prison Legal News says in a federal complaint. It claims CCA won’t allow inmates to order or receive any hardcover books, or any books that are not available from Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.     Prison Legal News says its monthly periodical and its books on criminal justice are not available through commercial sources and some are hardcover.     CCA officials say they can censor or deny access to material “if communicated, create a serious danger to the security of the facility,” according to the complaint.     The Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy houses prisoners from Hawaii and Washington state. CCA is one of the largest private prison companies in the world.     Prison Legal News seeks declaratory judgment and injunctive relief for constitutional violations. It is represented by Daniel J. Pochoda with the ACLU Foundation of Arizona.

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