Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A federal appeals panel has ordered a district judge to determine whether the South Dakota prison system policy barring pornography is constitutional.
The Argus Leader reports the state Department of Corrections’ 2014 policy was challenged by Charles Sisney, who is serving a life sentence for killing his girlfriend.
The stricter policy he’s challenging replaced an earlier rule from 2000 that banned photos of nudity and sexual acts.
Under the new policy, officials confiscated items such as pictures of works by Michelangelo and two novels: “Thornes of Desire” and “Pride and Prejudice: The Wild and Wanton Edition.”
The three-judge panel’s decision vacates a 2016 ruling mostly favoring Sisney because it considered his challenge based on the earlier policy. The panel ordered Sisney’s claims be re-examined based on the 2014 policy.