Prisoner’s First Amendment Rights Violated.

Prisoner at Pelican Bay State Prison attempted to mail a letter to a newspaper through the prison mail system.  It argued that certain California prisoners, including him, should be recognized as political prisoners.  In the letter, he referred to himself as a “New Afrikan Nationalist Revolutionary Man.”  Prison officials confiscated the letter after concluding it threatened prison security and because it could contain hidden messages promoting gang activity.  The Court of Appeal granted the prisoner’s writ of habeas corpus and ordered that his letter be sent to the addressee.  In re James Crawford  (Cal. App. First Dist., Div. 2; June 4, 2012) (As Mod. June 13, 2012) 206 Cal.App.4th 1259.