You may have noticed in the news recently reports from a few states where the DOC is ending book donations to prisoners. Most recently, the Pennsylvania DOC has come under fire for espousing this new policy bolstered by phony evidence of a plan to send illicit drugs through the donations.
Unfortunately, the IDOC is attempting the same kinds of restrictions here. Only in slow motion. It’s the M.O. of the IDOC to dip their toes in the water before diving all the way in. So they’ve begun to restrict books at a few facilities, Westville, ISP, and Miami before likely going system wide. We need to stop this process in its tracks now!
The new restrictions at these facilities limit book orders to only two vendors, one of which is Amazon. All other reading material will be purchased from tablets. Critics of the Pennsylvania policy have rightly pointed out the money-making scheme behind this shift. Companies like GTL who manufacture the tablets stand to gain millions of dollars by monopolizing inmate communication and literature. If we don’t move now, the IDOC will feel comfortable expanding this policy to all prisons and effectively end used and new book donations to inmates.
Please call:
Commissioner Robert Carter | (317) 232-5711
Governor Eric Holcomb | (317) 232-4567
Sample Script:
“I am calling to request that the restrictions being put in place on book donations at Miami Correctional, Westville Correctional, and Indiana State Prison be reversed and no such restrictions be applied to any idoc facility. Barring inmates from reading materials is inhumane and tantamount to censorship. Other states have rightly reversed such policies and I ask that Indiana do the same”
Remember to report back with how your calls go.