Filed Date: July 6, 1984
Closed Date: March 20, 1991
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Prisoners at the Arkansas Department of Correction filed a pro se lawsuit under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 against the Arkansas Department of Correction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The prisoners asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, complaining that the defendants were violating their constitutional right to free speech by opening letters criticizing the prison's policies that the inmates were sending to newspapers.
On April 18, 1985 the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (Judge Elsijane T. Roy) granted declaratory relief to the plaintiffs, ordering the Department of Corrections to adopt policies that treat inmate media mail with the same level of privilege as legal correspondence. Travis v. Lockhar,t 607 F.Supp. 1083 (E.D.Ark. 1985).
The defendants appealed this decision, and on March 18, 1991 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit vacated the district court's decision and remanded the case with direction to dismiss the petition on the ground that it raised only a matter of state concern. On March 20, 1991, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (Judge Garnett T. Eisele) dismissed the case with prejudice.
Summary Authors
Kristen Sagar (3/14/2006)
Eisele, Garnett Thomas (Arkansas)
Forster, John F. Jr. (Arkansas)
Roy, Elsijane Trimble (Arkansas)
Lassiter, Jack T. (Arkansas)
Gillean, Jack Ward (Arkansas)
Eisele, Garnett Thomas (Arkansas)
Forster, John F. Jr. (Arkansas)
Roy, Elsijane Trimble (Arkansas)
Last updated March 27, 2024, 3:04 a.m.
State / Territory: Arkansas
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 6, 1984
Closing Date: March 20, 1991
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Prisoners alleging their First Amendment rights were violated by Department of Corrections policy of scanning incoming and outgoing mail directed to and received from media representatives
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Arkansas Department of Corrections, State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Habeas Corpus, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241-2253; 2254; 2255
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Mixed
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1985 - 1991
Issues
General:
Type of Facility: