May 19, 2025, Press Release from the Ohio Justice & Policy Center:
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC) has filed a civil rights lawsuit against senior members at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) for unlawfully screening the legal mail of incarcerated people without their permission. The department has introduced the Legal Mail Variance Policy in four Ohio prisons.
OJPC maintains that the unlawful policy violates the civil rights of incarcerated people, forces the breach of attorney/client privileges and endangers the relationships between OJPC and their clients.
“This policy is a blatant violation of legal mail confidentiality,” said Gabe Davis, OJPC Chief Executive Officer. “The paramount aspect of an attorney client relationship is trust. This policy undermines that trust and opens the door for private correspondence to be viewed with total disregard for our client’s civil rights and our First Amendment rights. We are suing the department because this has to stop now.”
The department’s policy goes beyond just inspecting certain pieces of so-called “suspicious” mail to a systematic invasion of privacy by opening and laboriously copying all mail sent to incarcerated people. Mail is now opened, letters are fanned out and scanned, copying is reviewed and verified with a corrections officer, originals are shredded, and in the process, private legal correspondence is able to be viewed and read by multiple people, including corrections staff. The policy is ripe for abuse, mail delivery is delayed and the recipient or their legal representative is never told what information was destroyed or withheld.
“If our clients can’t trust that they can be fully honest with us, we can’t do our jobs,” said Lizett Martinez Schreiber, Managing Attorney & Chief Projects Director. “As attorneys, we have a duty to maintain trust. If the incarcerated people we work with feel like their mail is being monitored they won’t be as transparent in their letters, fearing repercussions.”
On behalf of their clients, the Ohio Justice & Policy Center filed a lawsuit on May 6th, 2025. If granted, the permanent injunction filed will require Southern Ohio Correctional Institution, Marion Correctional Institution, Lebanon Correctional Institution, and Ross Correctional Institution to return to their prior policy of legal mail screening.
About the Ohio Justice and Policy Center
The Ohio Justice and Policy Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit law firm with offices in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. We fight for equal justice and fair treatment in all stages of incarceration, because every person deserves dignity after their conviction and freedom after their sentence.
We offer a spectrum of free legal services, programs, and resources for people in all communities who lack essential support as they navigate the complexities of our criminal legal system.
To learn more about our work and our ongoing initiatives, visit https://ohiojpc.org/.
