Lawsuit Over Mailroom Abuses by Washington DOC Leads to Policy Changes.

A lawsuit against the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) over mailroom abuses has resulted in policy changes. The lawsuit alleged that the prison mailroom unlawfully censored constitutionally protected mail between prisoners and their family, friends, legal counsel, and the courts. The plaintiffs claimed that fully clothed women's photos were rejected while mostly nude men's photos were allowed. The settlement agreement includes revisions to the DOC's mail policy, providing clear instructions for filing appeals and defining what constitutes sexually explicit materials. The changes apply to all DOC prisons statewide. [Extracted from the article]