19-b-3 A Note on Foreign-language Materials

• Library: A Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual (2020 Edition)

19-B-3. A Note on Foreign-Language Materials

The ability of prisons to restrict correspondence in foreign languages remains unclear. Some courts have found that regulations prohibiting prisoners from writing and receiving letters in languages that cannot be understood by prison officials are permissible as reasonably related to the legitimate prison interest of security.⁷⁹ On the other hand, some courts have held that a complete ban on all foreign-language correspondence is not rational.⁸⁰ Additionally, some courts have...