WaPo: “The Arkansas Department of Corrections is set to ban all physical books, magazines and newspapers sent directly to inmates — a restriction, pushed as a drug-fighting measure, that would bethe strictest of its kind in prisons across the country.
The ban was set to take effect Sunday but has been delayed as the department continues to revise the current rule, which allows books, magazines and newspapers to be sent directly to inmates from a “publisher, bookstore, educational institution, or recognized commercial or charitable outlet.”
Some lawmakers and advocacy groups are asking for legislative review as well as a public comment period. The revised regulation would affect about 17,000men and women behind bars in 20 prison facilities.”