Comments on: Prisoner scoops the media with an exclusive Death Row interview with the “Trailside Killer.” http://www.newdorf.com/prison-interview-with-trailside-killer?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prison-interview-with-trailside-killer California Litigation Blog Thu, 26 Dec 2013 23:38:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Newdorf http://www.newdorf.com/prison-interview-with-trailside-killer/comment-page-1#comment-12155 David Newdorf Tue, 06 Aug 2013 06:34:38 +0000 http://www.newdorf.com/?p=318#comment-12155 Peter: Thanks so much for the additional background and for your work on the issue. Peter: Thanks so much for the additional background and for your work on the issue.

]]> By: Peter Sussman http://www.newdorf.com/prison-interview-with-trailside-killer/comment-page-1#comment-12154 Peter Sussman Tue, 06 Aug 2013 06:25:47 +0000 http://www.newdorf.com/?p=318#comment-12154 David, I have vast admiration for you and for Boston, for the same reason: your persistence as advocates for meaningful media access to prisoners. The irony of Boston's interview is indeed striking: that a prisoner can interview a newsworthy inmate but a free-world journalist cannot. One can only assume that the state distrusts the outside media because it has no control over what they can or will report. That sort of freedom from state control is, of course, guaranteed by the First Amendment, and for compelling reasons: to assure effective and open public oversight of public institutions. I recently re-established contact with Boston, and I'm grateful to him for putting me on the San Quentin News mailing list. They're doing great work that cannot be done by journalists on the outside. Your post is an excellent summary, but I have one small quibble about the media-access bills in the Legislature. It's not fair to blame legislators for "stalling" their efforts to wipe out the department's ban on face-to-face interviews. As a co-sponsor of numerous similar bills, on behalf of the Society of Professional Journalists, I can provide some more historical perspective. The Legislature has passed such a bill five or six times in the years since the restrictions were administratively imposed, usually by overwhelming margins. All have been vetoed, by a succession of governors, including the incumbent. If Gov. Brown ever comes to understand the vital importance of public information on our scandalously run prisons, I can assure you that the Legislature will pass a bill for him to sign. Peter David, I have vast admiration for you and for Boston, for the same reason: your persistence as advocates for meaningful media access to prisoners. The irony of Boston’s interview is indeed striking: that a prisoner can interview a newsworthy inmate but a free-world journalist cannot. One can only assume that the state distrusts the outside media because it has no control over what they can or will report. That sort of freedom from state control is, of course, guaranteed by the First Amendment, and for compelling reasons: to assure effective and open public oversight of public institutions.

I recently re-established contact with Boston, and I’m grateful to him for putting me on the San Quentin News mailing list. They’re doing great work that cannot be done by journalists on the outside.

Your post is an excellent summary, but I have one small quibble about the media-access bills in the Legislature. It’s not fair to blame legislators for “stalling” their efforts to wipe out the department’s ban on face-to-face interviews. As a co-sponsor of numerous similar bills, on behalf of the Society of Professional Journalists, I can provide some more historical perspective. The Legislature has passed such a bill five or six times in the years since the restrictions were administratively imposed, usually by overwhelming margins. All have been vetoed, by a succession of governors, including the incumbent. If Gov. Brown ever comes to understand the vital importance of public information on our scandalously run prisons, I can assure you that the Legislature will pass a bill for him to sign.

Peter

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