As reported by the Courthouse News Service on September 9, 2014, a settlement agreement between the County of Ventura and Prison Legal News means that the Jail cannot limit prisoners’ mail to postcards. See Sheriff can’t restrict inmates mail.
On behalf of Prison Legal News, a project of the Human Rights Defense Center, RBGG and co-counsel filed a First Amendment suit against Ventura County and Sheriff Geoff Dean in January over the jail’s “postcard only” policy. The court granted PLN a preliminary injunction that was confirmed in a final court order issued on September 4 – see Final Order PLN v Ventura County 090414
As part of the settlement, the county agreed to pay Prison Legal News $350,000 for damages, costs and fees. Prison Legal News was represented by RBGG’s Ernest Galvan, Brian Vogel of Ventura, and by staff attorney Lance Weber, of Lake Worth, Fla.