Thus petition is out of protest for the banning of correspondence, and or visiting privileges from the family and friends of the inmates on Texas's death row, Polunsky Unit.
Telephone usage is extremely limited, and correspondence by mail and visits are the only means of communication between the inmates and family and friends of the inmates.
Concerning correspondence by mail: Any mail deemed contraband by TDCJ on the basis of content is confiscated, and that should be the final measure. To ban a family or friend from writing and from visits is totally unnecessary.
Concerning visitation rights: Visits are non-contact. Because an inmate is in prison it does not separate him/her from the protections of the Constitution. The penalty for the crime he committed is imprisonment and sometime in this case the death sentence. Further abuses or punishments by prison officials and employees should be no part of their punishment.
When inmates visitation rights are concerned, the visitors rights are also implicated.
Inmates do retain their Constitutional rights, and so do their visitors. Banning visits/and or correspondence is against their Constitutional rights, It is a violation of the first Amendment rights to free association, and the eighth Amendment on cruel and unusual punishment.
Their is a code of ethics by TDCJ for correctional officers which states the following:
Maintain the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and impartiality.
Be firm, and consistent in the performance of my duties, without retribution, retaliation, harassment or abuse toward others.
Provide and support the provision of humane custody, supervision and care of offenders.
Not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, geographic location or economic status.
We the undersigned wish to have the ban lifted on all visitors and family of the inmates on the Polunsky death row Unit, immediately.
This is the humane thing to do in a society as ours.
