July 26, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Lemmons, III and Lemmons, Jr. and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
A bill to amend 1953 PA 232, entitled
"Corrections code of 1953,"
(MCL 791.201 to 791.283) by adding section 69b.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 69b. (1) The department shall establish reasonable
policies regarding news media visits to department facilities.
(2) A prisoner who is not in administrative segregation shall
be allowed uncensored correspondence with, and telephone access to,
news media representatives, subject to reasonable regulation as to
time and frequency. A prisoner in administrative segregation status
shall be allowed to send sealed correspondence to news media
representatives.
(3) A prisoner who is not in administrative segregation may
submit uncensored manuscripts to publishers and may serve as a
literary reviewer for newspapers or other publications.
(4) Prisoners permitted outside an institution for
rehabilitative or public service purposes may participate in news
interviews when approached by news media representatives.
(5) A prisoner shall not be interviewed, filmed, or
photographed by the news media in a department institution or
correctional facility without the prisoner's prior written consent.
The consent of both the department and the prisoner shall be
required before granting a personal interview. The department shall
grant requests in a timely manner for personal interviews of a
prisoner if the number and duration of the interviews are
reasonable. The department shall take appropriate steps in
evaluating interview requests to ensure that the prisoner is not
coerced into consenting to an interview.
(6) The warden of a correctional facility may temporarily
suspend all access by prisoners to the news media during
emergencies or disorders in that correctional facility. The
suspension shall end when the emergency or disorder is concluded.