Opinion ID: 2634701
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Events Surrounding the Visitation and Discipline

Text: Loren J. Larson, Jr. is a maximum security prisoner at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, an Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) facility. In 1999 the correctional center revised the rules governing contact visitations to prohibit all physical contact between prisoners and visitors other than a short embrace upon initial contact and again upon departure. Prior to this rule revision, handholding was permitted during visitation. According to a civil complaint later filed by Larson, he and his wife joined hands in prayer during a contact visit on September 20, 1999. Correctional Officer Larry Davis was monitoring Larson's visit. Officer Davis determined that Larson's conduct violated Spring Creek's visitation rules prohibiting hand holding, and he ordered Larson to release his wife's hand. Larson refused, and Davis terminated the visit. Davis filed a disciplinary incident report describing Larson's refusal to obey a direct order. As a result of this incident, Larson's contact visitation privileges were suspended, and he was restricted to secure visitation. On October 4, 1999 the prison disciplinary committee found Larson not guilty of disobeying a direct order. Nevertheless, prison officials continued to restrict Larson to secure visitation until December 1999.