Greg Brown: Law Library

In this podcast, Greg Brown delves into the intricacies of a lawsuit he filed against prison officials for prohibiting inmates from conversing in the prison law library and removing self-help law books. Brown cites a landmark Supreme Court ruling, Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, which established that once an institution decides to provide access to certain materials, it cannot arbitrarily remove them without a valid justification. Drawing parallels between schools and prisons, Brown argues that the same principle applies to correctional facilities. He emphasizes the significance of legal resources for prisoners, despite their lack of formal legal training, as they are held to the same standards as attorneys in Washington state courts. Brown highlights a series of court cases that underscore this expectation, dating back to the 1980s. He contends that the removal of books and the ban on communication in the law library were deliberate attempts to stifle prisoner litigation.