Proposal to eliminate prison law libraries
Proposal to eliminate prison law libraries
Keywords: Local government, Prisons, Library users, Legal matters
Dateline: State of Washington
Washington Governor Gary Locke has proposed eliminating prison law libraries in order to save $1.2 million over a period of two years. However, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, doing so might very well result in lawsuits. Although the Corrections Department and the governor's office both claim that the closings would be legal, a representative of the Washington State Bar Association said that inmates have a constitutional right to access to legal materials, including law libraries. The state Attorney General will be looking into the matter. http://www.libraryjournal.com/articles/news/thisweek/20010205_17482.asp
