By C1 Staff
PUTNAMVILE, Ind. – A federal appeals court ruled that an Indiana inmate should not have lost his good time credit for assisting others, both prison workers and inmates, with prison computers.
The Indy Star reports that inmate Eric Grandberry was not only downloading legal materials for inmates, but also for prison staff.
For one librarian, he obtained and filled out paperwork to stop child support payments.
For another staff member, he completed forms to help the employee’s daughter file for divorce.
Once the prison computer was sent to a crime lab for analysis in 2011, Grandberry was placed in solitary confinement and lost 30 days of good time credit for the offense of “unauthorized use of an electronic device.”
“It is more than a little surprising to encounter an argument by a prison system that an inmate may be penalized for obeying an order by the prison’s staff,” the Court of Appeals’ opnion said.
“If the library staff gave Grandberry improper orders, the penalty should fall on the staff members.”
Grandberry is currently serving time on a felony charge of dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug.