TDCJ allowing of pictures to be taken in the Prisons

To: Texas Board of Criminal Justice
P. O. Box 13084
Austin, Texas 78711

RE: TDCJ allowing of pictures to be taken in the Prisons

The Constitutional Rights of the families should be remembered that when inmates' visits are concerned, the visitors' rights are implicated too. In not allowing visitor's access to have pictures taken of their loved ones, be it in General Population or on Death Row, TDCJ is violating the visitor's Constitutional Rights. In Turner et. al. V. Safley et. al. No. 85-1384 U.S. Supreme Court, which TDCJ has sited from for other rules they have established, sites the determination of "whether a prison regulation that impinges on inmates' constitutional rights is "reasonably related" to legitimate penological interests."

We, the undersigned, do not feel that not allowing families to have pictures taken with their loved ones that are in prison, be it General Population or Death Row, has no "penological interests." TDCJ cannot put forth the reason being due to budget cuts. The families and friends of these inmates pay $3.00 per picture. There is no out of pocket cost for TDCJ. It has been stated to some family members that pictures were being stopped because there were guards that were ciphering money from the pictures being taken. If that is the case, then the guards should be the ones punished, not the inmates and their families.

We, the undersigned, are asking that a "reasonably" legitimate penological explanation be given as to why pictures are no longer allowed. If one cannot be given, then we demand that we have our rights back to have pictures taken with our loved ones.