Opinion ID: 715778
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Interception of Prison Mail

Text: 45 The government introduced as evidence at trial a series of letters that Green sent to his co-conspirators while in prison. Green argues that the interception of this correspondence violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights, and that the evidence should have been suppressed. We disagree. 46 In Wolfish v. Levi, 573 F.2d 118 (2d Cir.1978), rev'd in part on other grounds sub nom., Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979), we noted with approval the district court's ruling that where good cause is shown, outgoing mail can be read without violating inmates' First Amendment rights. Id. at 130 n. 27; see also Heimerle v. Attorney General, 753 F.2d 10, 13 (2d Cir.1985) (Supreme Court's reversal of portions of [the district court's] order [in Wolfish ] left the mail provision undisturbed). Since the time of Wolfish, furthermore, the Supreme Court decided Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78, 89, 107 S.Ct. 2254, 2261-62, 96 L.Ed.2d 64 (1987), which is considerably more deferential to restraints imposed by prison officials on inmate rights than the standard of Procunier v. Martinez, 416 U.S. 396, 413-14, 94 S.Ct. 1800, 1811-12, 40 L.Ed.2d 224 (1974), which prevailed when Wolfish was decided. See Rodriguez v. James, 823 F.2d 8, 12 (2d Cir.1987) (applying Turner analysis in First Amendment challenge to prison mail policy). 47 The monitoring of Green's mail was based on good cause. Tasker--the afternoon watch commander at the prison--had requested it on the basis, in part, of Green's overheard telephone conversations, in which he continued to conduct drug trade and discussed committing contract murders. This information constituted good cause for inspecting Green's mail. Indeed, Green does not argue that the prison officials lacked reasonable ground for suspicion that he was engaging in illegal activities. 7 We conclude that there was no First Amendment violation. 48 As for Green's Fourth Amendment claim, under the analysis of Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78, 107 S.Ct. 2254, 96 L.Ed.2d 64 (1987), any restriction of Green's privacy interests is justified to the extent that it is reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. Id. at 89, 107 S.Ct. at 2261. The investigation and prevention of ongoing illegal inmate activity constitute legitimate penological objectives. See Thornburgh v. Abbott, 490 U.S. 401, 411-12, 109 S.Ct. 1874, 1880, 104 L.Ed.2d 459 (1989) (noting that [d]angerous outgoing correspondence in prison context posing a serious threat to prison order and security includes plans relating to ongoing criminal activity). The monitoring of Green's mail was reasonably related to that interest. Without doubt, there was a valid, rational connection, Turner, 482 U.S. at 89, 107 S.Ct. at 2262, between the decision to impose a watch on Green's mail and the desire to ensure the good order of the prison and the rehabilitation of prisoners by preventing Green from engaging in illegal activities while incarcerated. Furthermore, the absence of ready alternatives is evidence of the reasonableness of the prison's practice. Id. at 90, 107 S.Ct. at 2262. Green's mail was inspected after an individualized decision was made that the monitoring was necessary. The surveillance was founded on the prison officials' reasonable suspicion that Green in particular might be engaging in criminal conduct. No easily implemented alternative practice could both accommodate the prison's legitimate interest in security and rehabilitation, and further protect inmates' constitutional interests. 49 We think it clear that--at least where prison officials have reasonable cause for suspicion--surveillance of inmate mail is unobjectionable under the Fourth Amendment. We therefore reject Green's claim that the admission of his prison letters was error. 50