Prison advocacy group sues Jefferson County officials over alleged jail censorship

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC), a national prison advocacy group, is suing Jefferson County officials over allegedly censoring mail and prison legal news sent to inmates.

HRDC works to advocate for prisoners in U.S. detention facilities nationwide. One of its largest advocacy efforts involves publishing and distributing a monthly publication covering prison-related news and criminal justice litigation across the country.

But a lawsuit brought forth by HRDC alleges that Jefferson County Jail officials have censored the publication. The group claims that dozens of magazines, books and letters the group sent to inmates were rejected under the Jefferson County Detention Center’s mail policy.

HRDC's executive director tells our Denver news partners that the jail returned about 50 to 60 pieces of mail over the course of a year and a half. Along with the returned mail, HRDC claims it received a note that the materials were "books that were prohibited from outside the facility," our Denver affiliates report.

In the federal lawsuit, filed Thursday in the District of Colorado, the group claims that the mail censorship violates prisoner's free speech and due process rights.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Mark Techmeyer tells our Denver affiliates that the office is reviewing the publication and may consider changing its mailing policies.

HRDC and the sheriff's office are set to meet in court to discuss the future of the case on May 8, our Denver news partners report.