SYRACUSE, N.Y — The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) filed a lawsuit Tuesday, March 4 against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) for restricting incarcerated people’s first amendment rights to access courts and communicate with legal counsel, amid strikes led by correction officers across the state.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, seeks the restoration of incarcerated people’s rights to communications with their attorneys and access to courts, according to the NYCLU.
“As our state prisons are teetering on disaster, DOCCS’s decision to severely curtail incarcerated people’s access to the courts and counsel only adds fuel to the fire,” Megan Porter, staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union said. “This situation is urgent. Every day that passes without counsel is a day that people are being denied their fundamental right to hold their jailers accountable for not receiving necessities like medication and adequate nutrition while being separated from their loved ones, home, and livelihood. DOCCS is not above the law and must fully restore people’s access to the courts and counsel immediately.”…