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Jail Asked to Stop Altering Inmate Letters

July 9, 2009 12:00 am

The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that a Virginia jail stop removing biblical passages and other religious material from letters written to inmates.

The ACLU, its state chapter and several other organizations sent a letter Thursday to Rappahannock Regional Jail officials asking that the issue be resolved without litigation.

Anna Williams, whose son was detained at the jail, said officials cut out entire sections of letters she sent to her son that contained Bible verses or religious material. She said the jail cited prohibitions on Internet material and religious material sent from home.

The groups said the policy was unconstitutional and asked that it be changed.

Jail officials said they had not yet seen the letter.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)





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