Opinion ID: 169830
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Paperback books

Text: The County Jail prohibits inmates from possessing hardback books and ordering paperback books from the outside. Jones does not contest the jail's ban on hardback books. He does, however, challenge the paperback book policy. Under that policy, inmates can obtain paperback books through the jail library, which contains thousands of books. [10] The jail librarian pushes a book-laden cart through the jail [a]s often as [she] can. (R. Appellant's App. Vol. 1 at 241.) An inmate is permitted to select four books from the cart each time the librarian visits his cell. [11] (An inmate is allowed to possess no more than four books in his cell at one time.) In addition to obtaining books from the jail library, an unwritten rule allows inmates to seek permission to order a paperback book from a publisher. Captain Glad testified such requests would be granted if reasonable, which turned on the jail's safety and security needs. Specifically, he stated he approved every request that did not pose a threat to another person. Starting in April or May 1996, inmates could also obtain paperback books from the local Barnes & Noble bookstore under a Public Donation Procedure. (R. Appellant's App. Vol. 1 at 236.) The procedure permits interested parties . . . to make monetary gifts and donations of materials to the jail library collections. ( Id. ) It also allows parties to make book donations to a specific prisoner. Donations to specific prisoners are required to be purchased through the local Barnes & Noble bookstore and must meet the jail library's selection guidelines. [12] Once the book is ordered, the jail librarian picks up the book and delivers it to the inmate. Under this policy, all book donations, whether to the jail library or to a specific prisoner, become the immediate property of the jail librar[y]. ( Id. ) Jones claims the jail's paperback book policy is unconstitutional. He asserts inmates have a constitutional right to purchase books from publishers, book clubs and bookstores. He asserts the jail's unwritten and unpublicized rule allowing some inmates to purchase some books some times does not comport with the First Amendment. (Appellant Jones' Reply Br. at 16.) He also contends the jail's policy that paperback books purchased by and shipped to inmates from Barnes & Noble become the jail's property violates due process. In Bell v. Wolfish, the Supreme Court addressed a rule at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) which permitted inmates to receive hardback books from outside the institution only if they were mailed directly from the publisher, a bookstore or a book club, i.e., a publisher-only rule. 441 U.S. 520, 549-50, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979) (quotations omitted). It concluded the publisher-only rule for hardback books did not violate the First Amendment. Id. at 550, 99 S.Ct. 1861. Although Turner had not yet been decided, the Court essentially applied its factors. Id. at 550-51, 99 S.Ct. 1861. It stated the rule was a rational response to an obvious security problem as hardback books could be used to smuggle contraband into the prison, are hard to search effectively and allowance of them from any source would impose an administrative burden on prison staff to carefully inspect each book. Id. at 550-51, 99 S.Ct. 1861. The Court also considered the following factors: (1) the rule operates in a neutral fashion without regard to the content of the expression; (2) the brief terms of confinement for most inmates at the facility (which was mainly a pre-trial detention center); and (3) inmates had alternative means of obtaining reading material, specifically, (a) hardback books could be received from publishers, bookstores and book clubs, (b) magazines and paperback books could be obtained from any source and (c) the facility had a relatively large library for use by inmates. Id. at 551-52, 99 S.Ct. 1861. While Bell's holding is limited to hardback books, several circuits have extended it to paperback books and magazines. For example, in Kines v. Day, the First Circuit addressed a prison rule allowing inmates to receive newspapers and hardback and paperback books only from a book club, bookstore or news store but allowed the superintendent of the prison to permit visitors to bring in paperback books. 754 F.2d 28, 29 (1st Cir.1985). Relying on Bell, the court upheld the rule. Id. at 29-30. While recognizing that Bell considered only hardback books, the court concluded many of the security issues posed by hardback books also applied to paperback books. Id. at 30. It also determined inmates had alternative means of obtaining reading material, in particular, the prison had a library with an inter-library loan procedure and the regulation itself provided an exception for visitors. Id.; see also Ward v. Washtenaw County Sheriff's Dep't, 881 F.2d 325, 328-30 (6th Cir.1989) (upholding publisher-only rule as applied to magazines); Hurd v. Williams, 755 F.2d 306, 307-09 (3d Cir.1985) (upholding publisher-only rule as applied to newspapers, periodicals and paperback books where plaintiff failed to refute warden's affidavit justifying rule); Cotton v. Lockhart, 620 F.2d 670, 671 (8th Cir.1980) (upholding publisher-only rule as applied to hardback and paperback books, magazines and newspapers); but see Keenan v. Hall, 83 F.3d 1083, 1093 (9th Cir.1996) (suggesting a publisher-only rule as applied to books, magazines and newspapers may violate the First Amendment); Pratt v. Sumner, 807 F.2d 817, 819-20 (9th Cir.1986) (finding prisoner's complaint challenging prison's publisher-only rule for paperback and hardback books was not frivolous). We conclude the County Jail's paperback book policy, which allows inmates to obtain paperback books from the jail library and, with permission, the publisher, is rationally related to the legitimate governmental objective of prison security. [13] Allowing inmates to purchase paperback books only from the publisher prevents contraband from being smuggled into the jail and lessens the administrative burden on jail personnel who must inspect each book. Inmates also have alternative means of obtaining reading material because they can obtain books from the jail library and are permitted to have newspapers and certain magazines. After April/May 1996, inmates could also receive donated books from the local Barnes & Noble bookstore. The fact these books automatically become the jail's property is irrelevant; purchasers are warned the books will automatically become jail property, which is consistent with the fact it is a donation policy. [14] The jail's paperback book policy also satisfies the third and fourth Turner factors. To allow inmates to possess paperback books from non-publishers would have a significant impact on jail resources. Lastly, we see no indication the policy is an exaggerated response to the jail's concerns. The County Jail's paperback book policy is constitutional.