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Comment by epicureanideal | Hacker News Reader

Yes, this seems needlessly restrictive. What's the harm in letting someone with nothing better to do read Harry Potter? I could imagine restrictions on certain kinds of books... like how to cover up forensic evidence, or how to tie knots, or whatever... but Harry Potter, or computer programming?

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The loss of control and autonomy over irrelevant little things like this is one of those things that reinforces the power and cruelty of the guards.

Also keep in mind that guards are often the ones smuggling in comfort items and drugs. I imagine they don't like it when someone is sending prisoners things for free that they would otherwise have to get through the black markets in the prisons.

There is s legitimate safety concern. That is certain parts of books can be turned into weapons.

But the real issue is one of control. Treating prisoners as subhuman is a management practice.

>Treating prisoners as subhuman is a management practice.

Slight correction: Treating prisoners as subhuman is a societal practice. (At least, in the societal context that this discussion and the article are about.)

> There is s legitimate safety concern. That is certain parts of books can be turned into weapons.

Shit, half the modern doorstop fantasy genre is out on that concern alone.

As if that's bad enough, even the correspondence you have with your spouse/gf on the outside has to be carefully worded, lest it be too titillating.

Photos too-- if it's too risque or pornographic, it's subject to confiscation.

Considering the lack of conjugal visits, it makes it just that much more difficult to maintain relationships with anyone on the outside.

(Of course, every prison is different, but this was the case in Escondido as recently as a decade ago...)

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