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Excerpt from www.context.news
Here is how federal prison restrictions on social media could infringe free speech rights
- Federal prisons propose new social media use penalties
- People outside jails could also be affected
- Ban might prod states to follow suit
RICHMOND, Virginia – A U.S. federal proposal to step up penalties barring incarcerated people from using social media is likely to infringe on the right to free speech of both those inside and outside jail, rights advocates said.
A ban on people like family members from posting on behalf of prisoners could create a “chilling effect” on anyone considering helping inmates, or even attempting to contact them about conditions inside, the campaigners said.
“Let’s be clear: prisons and jails do not, under any circumstances, want people who are incarcerated to be able to speak freely to the public,” said Bianca Tylek, executive director of the advocacy group Worth Rises.
Christopher Blackwell, an incarcerated writer, said at first sight such a proposal sounded “extremely far-reaching”.
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