God in Government: ACLU Alleges Religious Censoring at Va. Jail

ACLU Alleges Religious Censoring at Va. Jail

By William Wan

The American Civil Liberties Union sent a complaint today to the Rappahannock Regional Jail, accusing officials there of censoring religious material sent to detainees.

Anna Williams, the mother of an inmate, said that while her son was detained at the jail starting in June 2008 her letters to him were stripped of bible passages and religious messages.

According to the ACLU, a three-page letter she sent to him in January was cut with scissors, leaving only the salutation, the first paragraph of the letter and the closing, "Love, Mom."

Jail Superintendent Joseph Higgs Jr. said he has launched an internal investigation after receiving calls from the media and can't comment while the investigation is being conducted.

"In my five years here, this is the first complaint I've received of this nature," he said.

According to the ACLU, the jail cited prohibitions on internet pages and religious material sent from home as reasons for removing portions of Williams' letters to her son, and the organization has requested jail officials revise their mail policy so that letters will not be censored because they contain material such as bible verses that are cut and pasted from the internet.

The Rappahannock facility serves four jurisdictions in rural Northern Virginia with about 1,100 inmates and 220 correctional officers.

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ACLU Alleges Religious Censoring at Va. Jail

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