Prison Blogger Under Fire

Longterm British prisoner Ben Gunn started sharing thoughts and criticism of the prison system on a blog in August. It's been just one month and he's already getting shut down.

Her Majesty's Prison Service apparently told Gunn that he can't post because prisoners "may not ask, in writing or otherwise, another person to make on his behalf a communication which he would not be allowed to make direct." Therefore, since prisoners are not allowed access to the internet, he can't ask someone else to post articles on his behalf.

This is absurd. Not only is the logic tortured, but this move to stifle open communication is flat out wrong. Gunn has been critical of HM Prison Service, but he should have the right to speak his mind. The web creates possibilities for the voiceless to be heard, and we shouldn't stand by and allow this threat to speech.

Michael Santos has written here regularly from a U.S. federal prison, and we're grateful that he has been able to speak his mind from his cell. He contributes to the dialogue around prison reform, he does it peacefully and nobody should stand in the way of that. (He's taking a break from posting right now to focus on other priorities, but expects to be back soon)

Blogger Jailhouselawyer has been following this controversy closely in the U.K. and corresponding with Gunn. Pete Brook at Prison Photography wrote about the value of prison blogs:

My question “How do we feel about Prison Bloggers?” is largely rhetorical. How we feel about them makes no impingement on their lawful right to write and publish from prison.Let’s be absolutely clear here. Gunn is breaking NO LAW.

The only law that may pertain is that Gunn may receive no compensation for his writing while a ward of the prison service. But this was never the issue at stake. Gunn’s free speech was deliberately quashed by the administration of a system that stood to face criticism through his words.

A while back I wrote 'Let Our Inmates Blog' - not just advocating for prisoners to be allowed to send handwritten post to friends on the outside, but to allow access to the internet inside prison. Until correctional systems start training prisoners in modern technology, we will continue releasing people without job skills. And until prisoners are allowed to express themselves and publish online, we'll have a silenced prison population unable to play a role in reforming the system.

Let Ben Gunn blog.

Photo by timsamoff