Bill introduced to increase media and government officials’ access to prisons

A bill was introduced in the Senate on Monday to increase access by both the media and government officials to state, county and city jails.

Senate Bill 254, sponsored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), specifically repeals statewide prison and prison policies, including California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) policies, and allows members of the media to travel to institution or interview prisoners in person. As a result, retaliation against a person in custody for participating in a visit or communicating with a member of the media will also be prohibited. In addition, all Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities and county jails will be required to allow government officials to visit these facilities at any time and meet with inmates upon request in accordance with SB 254.

SB 254 will also cover many parts of the similar Florida prison law that the bill is modeled on, including allowing members of the media to use cameras and recording devices, prohibiting prison officials from monitoring or recording interviews, and requiring prison and correctional facilities to inform an inmate’s attorney. before the scheduled interview.

Current CDCR, county, and local government policy dates back to the mid-1990s, when then-Governor Pete Wilson signed legislation allowing the CDCR to restrict access due to multiple concerns about crime, security allowing so many people to enter, and security. However, since 1998, several bills have been enacted to allow the media to return to tourist sites as well as talk to more inmates, many of whom came after the 2013 California inmate hunger strike. While current legislation allows members of the media to visit CDCR facilities with prior authorization and allows off-schedule interviews with prisoners, they limit the times they can visit and the manner in which interviews are conducted, for example, do not allow one-on-one interviews with specific individuals. cellmates.

Senator Skinner wrote SB 254 as a way to gather more information about prisons, prisoners, and their conditions. In a statement on Monday, she argues that the media plays a vital role in how government works and that greater access to prisons will get more information from the public and lawmakers.

“The news media play a vital role in providing information to the public and politicians about how our government works. California has previously given the media much greater access to state prisons, allowing us to learn more about prison conditions,” the senator said in a press release. “But for the past three decades, California prisons have been among the most opaque in the country. SB 254 will reopen so we can collect more and better information about how one of our largest government programs works. California prides itself on transparent and open government. SB 254 will enable us to live up to that ideal when it comes to our prisons and prisons.”

California News Publishers Association (CNPA) General Counsel Brittney Barsotti added that the issue is transparency, stating, “Increasing media access to jails and prisons is critical to transparency. The current rules are so onerous that there is no real access. This bill will provide the access that is needed to shed light on what is happening in our prisons and prisons. We can’t afford to fall behind states like Florida when it comes to transparency.”

While some Democrats in the Senate and some media outlets have already come out in support of the bill, there is opposition. Many prison experts warn that in addition to ongoing security and safety issues, the law could prevent prison officials from doing their job.

“If we can’t monitor or record interviews, then what if, say, a prisoner threatens to harm someone, like a guard or another prisoner?” Jaime Rios, a former prison guard and current security consultant, asked the Globe on Tuesday. “We need to know this kind of information and keep it on record, and not just trust the media representative to provide it to us. The same if they are planning something or even if there is someone corrupt or dangerous in the system.”

“Moreover, allowing people to visit places that are not normally open to the press or other people has a whole range of issues that need to be addressed. I know that Florida recently passed this test, but California is not Florida.”

“And the thing is, they act like we don’t let anyone in prisons. We do. You just need the proper appointments, so you know we can provide the proper security for you. This is a transparent system. That’s what’s weird.”

SB 254 is expected to be handed over to committees shortly.

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