Source: https://www.criminallegalnews.org/cln-litigation/2014/DC/PLN_v_UnicorComplaint/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 22:19:00+00:00

Document:
requiring pre-payment prior to searching for or releasing the requested records.
28, 2013, but has not received any response whatsoever.
attorney’s fees and other litigation costs under 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(E).
occurred in the District of Columbia and the Defendants reside in the same.
outreach in support of the rights of prisoners and in furtherance of basic human rights.
courts, libraries, and other members of the general public throughout the Country and abroad.
PLN also maintains a website at www.prisonlegalnews.org and operates an email list serve.
month based on site analytics.
no commercial benefit therefrom – as such PLN is a non-commercial use requester.
skills to turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience.
subject to the record disclosure obligations under the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. § 552.
The BOP administers Federal Prison Industries, Inc., also known as UNICOR.
country with facilities in almost every state and approximately 219,000 inmates.
UNICOR. See Exhibit 1, FOIA request.
August 6, 2012. See id.
hazardous working conditions at UNICOR electronics recycling programs.
January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2012.
from January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2012.
from such exposure or conditions, from January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2012.
programs involving both inmates and employees.
duties/descriptions for such inmate workers.
contracts or subcontracts are related to UNICOR electronics recycling programs.
plaintiff or claimant, from January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2012.
pursuant to request no. 10.
which would involve the payment of public taxpayer funds. See Exs. 1, 4.
programs, both through its print publication and also via its website (www.prisonlegalnews.org).
government operations and activities at UNICOR.” See Ex. 1.
Prisoners Exposed to Toxic Dust at UNICOR Recycling Factories, 20 PLN 1 (Jan. 2009).
request. See Ex. 2, August 21, 2012, acknowledgement letter from the DOJ.
Federal Bureau of Prisons for processing. See id.
reviewing any responsive records. See Ex. 3, Denial Letter.
Prisons facilities[,]” and consist of no less than 14,000 pages. See id.
The BOP assessed $1,344.00 in search fees and $1,400 for duplication of records.
retrieval of these records.” See id.
format, despite assessing “duplication” fees. See id.
raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience. See 5 U.S.C.
by or free distribution to the general public.”).
“representative of the news media” status. See Ex. 3. As such, it was conceded.
The BOP is barred from assessing search fees on news media requesters. 5 U.S.C.
representative of the news media.”); 28 C.F.R. §§ 16.11(c), (d), 513.67.
U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(i); 28 C.F.R. §§ 16.6(c)(2), 513.66.
Nevertheless, the BOP assessed search fees for this request. See Ex. 3.
appealing to the head of the Agency. See Ex. 3.
The BOP failed to inform PLN of any deadline for filing an administrative appeal.
government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.” See id.
The public interest fee waiver denial was improper, bare and conclusory.
the head of the Agency.
failing to provide any deadline for appealing the denial.
outweighs the public interest in disclosure. See id.
request, the BOP denied the requested fee waiver.
operations or activities of the government. See id.
disclosure contribute to “public understanding”).
about this subject matter in any greater detail.” See id.
relevant timeframe of January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2012. See id.
to hazardous materials and working conditions during the timeframe covered by the request.
public’s ability to discover those particular cases.”).
country and on the internet, as opposed to having access to the information in a single document.
conditions that resulted in injuries or deaths among prisoners and employees. See Ex. 4 at 4.
programs operate with respect to hazardous or toxic materials or hazardous working conditions.
Agency, when such an appeal would be due, or where to file such an appeal. See Ex. 3.
C.F.R. §§ 16.6 (c)(4), 513.66.
requirement. See Oglesby v. Dept. of the Army, 920 F.2d 57, 65 (D.C. Cir. 1990).
and provided additional information in support of its request. See Ex. 4.
acknowledge the February 1, 2013, administrative appeal to date.
the BOP. See Ex. 5.
limits, thereby triggering the Act’s fee penalty provision. See id.; 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(viii).
Finally, PLN requested “a prompt response, on or before April 10, 2013.” See Ex. 5.
communication regarding its processing of PLN’s administrative appeal.
records requests under the FOIA. 28 C.F.R. § 16.3(a).
10 days after the request was received by the DOJ Mail Referral Unit.
circumstances exist or have been asserted by the Agency.
media requester, if the agency has failed to comply with any time limit set forth under 5 U.S.C.
§ 552(a)(6). See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(viii).
make a determination of the administrative appeal within 20 business days.
request, given PLN’s representative of the news media status. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(viii).
and withheld all responsive records.
released in electronic format where available.
provisions of this paragraph.” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(C)(i) (emphasis added).
failed to respond to PLN’s status inquiry letter dated March 28, 2013.
business days. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(ii).
PLN has exhausted all administrative remedies.
improper search fees and $1,400.00 in improper duplication fees.
under section 552(a)(4)(A) of the FOIA.
interest pursuant to section 552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
sections 552(a)(2) and (a)(3) of the Act.
penalty provision, 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(viii).
and (C) of the FOIA, without requiring the formality of a written request.
responsive records by a date certain, without its having to pay search or duplication fees.
Grant such further relief as the Court may deem to be just and appropriate.

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