The process typically begins when a journalist sends a letter to an inmate requesting an interview. If the inmate agrees, the journalist contacts the prison's public information officer to arrange the details. In most states, telephone interviews are barred. Interviews often are conducted in the company of a prison information officer, and the sessions often are limited to an hour or less. Many states require prison officials to advise inmates facing legal action to contact their attorneys before granting an interview.
Some states lean in favor of full access.
But California and other states allow prison officials broad discretion in granting media access to prisoners. Ohio restricts access to the sensational-minded media. Florida is the latest state to consider limitations on prisoner interviews. In September, Michael Moore, Florida's secretary of corrections, announced the state was beginning a policy review on media access to inmates. The media's position These sorts of questions send shivers down the spine of journalists.