W D O C PRISON POLICY NEWS
by Nate A Lindell #303724 w S P F
P O BOX 9900 Bosobel WI
created 29 Jan, 2012, but all stll valid

Denial of maps

At one time, W S P F had a policy prohbitng us from possessing all maps, as did the D A I under policy #309.20.03. These policies were supported by the opinion in George V Smith, 507 F.3d 605,609 (7th cir 2007), in which a prisoner unpersuasively challenged the denial of an atlas. The seventh circuit accepted as apparent (improperly, I say) the need to deny maps because of their possible us ein aiding exapes. Under the policies, I was denied visitors guides for Canada, Texus, and other far-away lands, because they had map of those places inhtem, maps that would be of no use to someone wanting to escape from a Wisconsin prison.

After filing several appeals to my warden and then through the I G R S challenging the denials of some of the visitors guides. I finally persuaded Madison to change these policies. Welcome Rose stated in her C C E report for my I C #WSPF-2010-5836 (you all can cite this):

"The blanket denial of all maps under both the former WSPF rule and the forner DAI policy...had been improper. The DAI policy has again been revised and changed to now allow maps, except for those maps.. 'that may compromise the security of th facility, safety of the public or safety of staff..." (sic throughout).

What I did to effect this policy change was to carefully explain 9both in my C C E appeals and in a letter to the W D O C secretary) how the blanket ban of all maps---blanket mans of any kind are frowned upon by the court, see, eg, Williams V Brimeyer, 116 F.3d 351, 354 (8th cir 1997) (Blanket ban on Christian indentity, material ruled unconstitutional), but se Borzych V Frank. 439 F.3d 388, 390 (7th cir 2006) (upholding W D O C's blanket ban on religiou texts promoting racial putiry or upremacy) - failed to satisfy the applicable 4 - part rational - basis standard (see, eg, Lindell V Frank, 377 F.3d 655t, 658, 659 (7th cir 2003), because:

Despite the sloppy rationale of George V Smithm there was no apparent need to ban all maps in order to prevent escapes from Wisconsin prisons. Maps of Texas couldn't aid an escape from any w D O C prison, yet such maps were denied/

Maps were in various books in my prison's library, which I'd been lent, making useless a ban on my personal ownership of books with maps in them.

Most bibles had maps of biblical lands in them, euch as the bible I had at the time, and that map wouldn't help anyone in America excape from their prison, yet was verboten.

Even a map of the city my prison was in would not help me excape from my prison - onl a schematic map of the prison itself might help me escpre the prison.

Only once a prisoner had already escaped would a map possibly be if use, and then it could easily be obtained!

Yes, I'm strutting, but also showing you all how to explain the irrationality of policies and rules that deny our rights, without going through the expense of litigation. Take some time and consider all the ways that a policy really doesn;t serve the interest it's supposed to. Carefully explain these gaps in logic in your I C's your C C E appeals, and in a letter to the W D O C's secretary and for legal counsel.

Other Policies we've changed

Denials of Photos From Out of ~State Prisoners. After I was denied the photo of an Oregon-state prisoner, because it supposedly violated DOC 303.40 Unauthrised transfer or property. I filed I C. #WSPF-2011-9447, pointing out that DOC 303 could only be applied on WDOC captives, as DOC 303.01 Applicability and purpose stated. Of course W S P F's I C E and warden denied my I C, but C C E.

Welcome Rose's Report found that:

"The photo had been inappropriately denied. A photo sent to a state of Wisconsin inmate from and inmate in another state is not unauthorised transfer of property under chapter DOC 303 administrative rules. A photo received for an inmate must be approved or denied under the administrative rules governing mail in chpter DOC 309."

We (myself and others) have changed other policies at WSPF by effectively complaining (i.e being allowed our personal T V's getting better pens, being allowed to legal route phtocopies). Bu tthere are other policies we still must attack ( i e denial of our typewriters and radios and fans in seg. status, denail of all phtos, periodicals and edile canteen while on step 3, denail of hardcover books while on A C not being allowed to receive Airmail and package-sized postage from the U S P S or catalogs, no hygiene supplies sold by catalog vendors). Oythers and I have carefully challenged these and other policies, but without success.

I'm not saying we will cange these policies without litigation, but you now know how it cam be done. The more doing so, the better.

Chronic Vitamin D DeficiencyIn Wisconsin's Prisons
by Nate A Lindell #303724
P O Box 9900 Boscobel
WI 53805
www.betweenthebars.org/blogs/540/nathaniel-lindell
created 27 Jan, 2012

Few modern prisons have "holes", in the sense of unlit, underground segregation units. Instead, most modern prisons have above-ground, constantly flourescently illuminated, pre-fabricated concrete crypts. Most modern prisons, particularly in Northern states, such as Wisconsin, still deny their captives exposure to sunlight. Thus why - I wonder why so ew wonder - is anyone surprised at the "dark" results of such dark places?

Beyond the impossible philosophical and psychological 1 answers to the above question, there is a firm biological anser: it's not surprising that separating prisoners from sunlight prodices harmful results. "(W)hen its precursor molecule in our skin absorbs light energy from ultraviolet B rays" - "it" being vitamin D3, an essential molecule for regulating the level of calcium, phosphrus, etc