Who should bear the cost of supplying these books and such to the prisoners? Certainly not the tax payer. If the prisoner wants to learn about something else, let him finish his time, get out and then he is welcome to read about and learn anything he wants. In the mean time, his “learning” is being done on my dime which I cannot see the justification for.

Can anyone tell me what rights Ramos and Compean have to books, pictures, magazines, radios, etc. while they are being held in solitary confinement for their own safety? Since they are not in solitary for extra punishment purposes, why are they still being treated as if they are less than the clown in this case?

“educational books that pertain to classes that they are currently enrolled in”

This would limit a prisoner’s ability to read and gather knowledge only to information presented to them by the government. I don’t see why a prisoner couldn’t decide for themselves they wanted to learn and pursue whatever knowledge they wished, aside from specific info on how to commit crimes, for example, like bomb making.

Other than that, if a prisoner develops an interest in astronomy, theology, or celebrity pop culture, what business is it of the government to tell them they can’t learn about it?

Also, maybe the prisoner is the only one in an institution interested in a subject — maybe, a stretch, I admit, they are prescient on it — why not let them occupy their minds?

I’m not for coddling prisoners, but I see no advantages in curtailing any attempt they make to learn and better themselves in some way, provided they aren’t harming others or preventing a security risk in doing so.

My understanding is that prison is supposed to be a punishment for violating the law. Somehow, the liberal establishments have changed the idea of prison into a place to rehabilitate prisoners rather than punish them. The methods that have been used have changed prison time from something totally horrible and thus to be avoided like the plague into something more akin to a stay at the college dorm.

Hard labor, deprivation, punishment and misery would be much more incentive to not get into a situation where you might ever have to go back inside than the current revolving door social clubs that we are now running.

he doubted that possessing “a photo of a movie star in a prison cell can even be deemed a ‘right’ protected by the First Amendment.”

I don’t like that.

Can you clarify your #5 — Are you referring to prisoner-on-prisoner violence/abuse, guard-on-prisoner, both, or something else?