An inmate in the Macomb County jail (near Detroit) is suing the state for imposing cruel and unusual punishment because jail rules don’t allow him to have pornography.
The inmate alleges he is afflicted with “chronic masturbation syndrome,” caused by jail conditions, and that porn deprivation is being used as “psychological warfare” against him and other prisoners. He adds, “Sexual deprivation has been used against plaintiff in a way as to both sexually frustrate the plaintiff, deprive the plaintiff of any sort of sexual gratification, and deny the plaintiff his right to sexual reproduction.” He alleges the state should buy porn for prisoners at taxpayer expense if they can’t afford to buy their own.
Michigan prisons allow prisoners to have pornographic material such as Playboy and Penthouse magazines, but not material showing simulated rape, bestiality, or sadomasochism. The Macomb County Jail allows no porn at all. It’s unclear why the inmate is suing the state but not the county.
Source: Robert Snell, “Macomb Co. inmate suing state over porn ban in prison,” Detroit News, July 3, 2011
Maureen Martin, a former legal fellow at The Heartland Institute, passed away on February 5, 2013.
