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Articles by Paul Wright

Washington Pork Refuses to Be Trimmed: Guard Towers Stay

In the August and November, 1995, issues of PLN we reported the passage of House Bill (HB) 2010 and the DOC's 1996-97 budget by the Washington state legislature. Among HB 2010's provisions were instructions for the DOC to study the use of electrical perimeter fences to replace guard towers. In ...

From the Editor

by Dan Pens

Welcome to PLN's eighth year of publication. We're proud that we have published longer than any other independent prisoner publication we know of. You should be proud, too. You're the ones who have made it possible. Recently we conducted an "Emergency Relief" direct mail fundraiser. Many of ...

Washington Prisoners Lose Computers, Again

In 1986 prisoners at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, WA were allowed to purchase computers and software and keep them in their cells. The program at its peak had some 56 prisoner computer owners in it. During this period the only problem that arose was one prisoner who hid ...

From the Editor

Welcome to another issue of PLN. As the holiday season approaches readers might want to consider purchasing gift subscriptions of PLN for friends and relatives. PLN continues to be reader supported and increasing our circulation is the only way we can significantly reduce our per issue costs.

We apologize for ...

From the Editor

By now you should have noticed that we have a new mailing address and new subscription rates. While all mail sent to our Florida address will be processed for the next few months you will get faster results by sending all correspondence, donations, etc., to our Seattle address. The PLN ...

BOP Phone Suit Settled

In the March and November, 1994 and March, 1995, issues of PLN we reported developments in Washington v. Reno, a class action suit filed by federal prisoners which challenged numerous aspects of a new phone system imposed by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). (Back issues are available for $5.00 each.) ...

Supreme Court Reverses Court Access Case

In the June, 1995, issue of PLN we reported Casey v. Lewis, 43 F.3d 1261 (9th Cir. 1994) in which a unanimous panel of the ninth circuit court of appeals affirmed most of a lower court ruling designed to ensure Arizona prisoners' right of access to the courts. In Casey ...

Publications Review

Periodically we like to inform our readers of other publications out there that are informative and helpful to those interested in prison issues. On the last page of each issue we plug those publications that are of interest to a national audience and focus on prisoner rights. One of the ...

Washington Money Seizure Suit Update

In the June, 1996, issue of PLN we reported that Washington prisoners at Clallam Bay had protested the implementation of a statute which will seize 35% of all funds received by prisoners from sources outside prison. In the August, 1995, issue of PLN we reported that the Washington legislature had ...

Prison Litigation Reform Act Passed

On April 27, 1996, president Clinton signed the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) into law attached as a rider to the budget for the Justice Department. The PLRA is the culmination of a lengthy campaign waged by prisoncrats and the National Association of the Attorney Generals (NAAG) to restrict prisoners' ...