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$600.00 Settlement In WA Mail Censorship Suit
In 1994 Steven Volstad, a prisoner at the Washington State Penitentiary
(WSP), filed a law suit against N.Frost and P.Potts both mailroom
employees at WSP and Tana Wood, the superintendent of WSP for violating
his First and Fourteenth Amendment Rights. In 1993 Volstad received a mail
censorship notice from Frost for a magazine and the reason for the
rejection was that he didn't pay for it from his prisoner account. Volstad
continued to receive mail rejections for magazines and catalogs, from the
mailroom all stating that he had not purchased the publications personally
and that catalogs were not allowed in the prison. Volstad appealed the
decisions to the proper officials and stated that the subscriptions were
paid for by his mother in full for 3 years and that he had not received
over 67 of his magazines and that Potts had also rejected mail that
Volstad was trying to send to his mother because it contained a magazine
subscription renewal, Potts stated in the rejection that Volstad's mother
was not entitled to purchase magazine subscriptions for him. Volstad's
appeals were all dismissed citing the institutional policies banning gift
subscriptions and catalogs. The mailroom staff at WSP continued to reject
Volstad's mail and the superintendent continued to allow the censorship.
The issue of censorship of gift subscriptions has since been held
unconstitutional See: Crofton v. Roe, 170 F.3d 957 (9th Cir. 1999). In
1994 Volstad filed a law suit and in 1995 the Department Of Corrections
settled the suit for $600.00. The terms of the settlement included
dismissing Volstad's outgoing mail claim. See: Volstad v. Frost, USDC ED
WA Case No. CS-94-044 WFN.
(WSP), filed a law suit against N.Frost and P.Potts both mailroom
employees at WSP and Tana Wood, the superintendent of WSP for violating
his First and Fourteenth Amendment Rights. In 1993 Volstad received a mail
censorship notice from Frost for a magazine and the reason for the
rejection was that he didn't pay for it from his prisoner account. Volstad
continued to receive mail rejections for magazines and catalogs, from the
mailroom all stating that he had not purchased the publications personally
and that catalogs were not allowed in the prison. Volstad appealed the
decisions to the proper officials and stated that the subscriptions were
paid for by his mother in full for 3 years and that he had not received
over 67 of his magazines and that Potts had also rejected mail that
Volstad was trying to send to his mother because it contained a magazine
subscription renewal, Potts stated in the rejection that Volstad's mother
was not entitled to purchase magazine subscriptions for him. Volstad's
appeals were all dismissed citing the institutional policies banning gift
subscriptions and catalogs. The mailroom staff at WSP continued to reject
Volstad's mail and the superintendent continued to allow the censorship.
The issue of censorship of gift subscriptions has since been held
unconstitutional See: Crofton v. Roe, 170 F.3d 957 (9th Cir. 1999). In
1994 Volstad filed a law suit and in 1995 the Department Of Corrections
settled the suit for $600.00. The terms of the settlement included
dismissing Volstad's outgoing mail claim. See: Volstad v. Frost, USDC ED
WA Case No. CS-94-044 WFN.
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Related legal case
Volstad v. Frost
| Year | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Cite | USDC ED WA Case No. CS-94-044 WFN |
| Level | District Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Attorney Fees | 0 |
| Damages | 0 |
| Injunction Status | N/A |
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