Arkansas inmates criticize jail's new rules on romantic reading

The Associated Press

05.16.00

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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A Rogers woman wants to read books about handsome heroes and damsels in distress, but she can't get her hands on such material.

Marilyn Marin is one of several women in the Benton County Jail who are complaining about a new reading-material policy set by the Jail Ministry Board. Marin, 37, said a decision to leave reading material to the selection of the board raises questions of "censorship, book banning, constitutional rights and separation of church and state."

The problem began last month, she said, when the number of choices on the book cart declined by about two-thirds. She said everything disappeared except volumes with religious themes and "spiritually uplifting little novelettes."

"I think this is a violation of our constitutional rights," said Marin, who is being held for misdemeanor failure to pay fines and restitution and driving with a suspended drivers license. "I do not believe they can let the clergy tell us what we can and cannot read."

Chaplain John Lightsey of the ministry board says books for the jail are reviewed for "violent, sexual and sensual" content by board members, but there is no effort to maintain only religious themes. He denied that biographies, histories, suspense and mystery novels were unavailable.

"We don't want them getting books with violent themes or sexual and sensual material that might stimulate the inmates in those directions," Lightsey said. "Supplying that sort of material to people who cannot handle the discipline of their own lives is like handing a book of matches to an 8-year-old."

He said books on secular themes that meet the board criteria would be made available, he said, "but you have to draw the line somewhere."

Sheriff Andy Lee says he has little sympathy for the inmates' complaint.

"Our policy is that we try to keep as much sexually oriented material as possible out of the jail," Lee said. "My suggestion to them is to get themselves out of jail. If they don't like the way the jail system is operated, they need to get themselves out of the system. I also will not negotiate this office's policies with the inmates via the media."

Marin and 20 other female inmates signed a letter to The Morning News in Springdale complaining about the policy. Marin also said she was trying to file a lawsuit about the issue.

Lightsey says the public is welcome to donate books in order to increase the available list. After being reviewed, he says, appropriate titles will be added to the carts.