Something has to be done about the PA DOC's publication policy. They require all books and magazines to be sent to the Security Processing Center, but they cannot deliver the books or magazines in a timely fashion. 1/

This is one way to deter prisoners from contact with the outside world and seeking knowledge. Books get to the SPC withing days of being ordered. But prisoners don't get the books for two months! If at all.

I have had people tell me that books they sent me were returned to them. I received no notification of this denial, a blatant violation of DOC policy.

Magazines get to us six weeks after they hit they stands. Some of they are completely useless upon receipt. TV Guide comes out biweekly. By the time we get it, it is no longer valid. The May issues of magazines got to me in late June!

I haven't seen a book delivered to my block in more than two weeks. Why? Because they are all stuck either at the SPC or Fayette's warehouse. All these delays are made to stop us from connecting to the outside world.

These measures were put in place after officers alleged illness through contact with prisoners' mail. PA taxpayers paid $4 million to a company in Florida to process our mail.

It takes a letter from Philly 10 days to reach a prisoner in PA. 10 whole days. We were told mail will get to us within 24 hours of it arriving at the FL company. That has never happened. PA is still paying $4 million for a mail service that takes 10 days to deliver a letter!

What adds insult to injury is that our mail and publications, the supposed conduits for drugs, are no longer getting to us in a timely fashion, but there are still drugs and tobacco in the prisons. Can't blame it on the mail. Can't blame on visits either.

We haven't had any contact, in-person visits. So who is bringing drugs and tobacco inside? The same people who alleged illness almost two years ago. Maybe it was all a ploy to corner the market for officers.

In Struggle,

Stevie