South Carolina Department of Corrections sued, accused of censoring inmate reading material

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The South Carolina Department of Corrections is being sued over claims that the state is unconstitutionally censoring educational books and magazines sent to inmates.

The lawsuit, brought by the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC), challenges a strict “Approved Vendor Policy” implemented in October 2025 that limits prisoners to receiving books from a family member, friend or paid for by the inmate from only six specific stores:

• Hamilton Books.
• Books N Things Warehouse.
• Books to Inmates.com
• SureShot Books Publishing, LLC.
• Barnes & Noble (online only)
• Books-A-Million (online only)

The suit claims the policy has resulted in the rejection or destruction of materials, including Prison Legal News, a monthly magazine published by HRDC that reports on criminal justice issues and prisoners’ rights.

From December 2025 to June 2026, HRDC says it sent books, magazines, and letters to inmates at Perry Correctional and other state prisons.

On January 23, 2026, the head of the HRDC sent a certified letter to the SCDC Director, Joel Anderson, requesting that the “unconstitutional” policy be ended. The group says they never got a response.

Fourteen items sent by HRDC were returned by the prisons from January to June 2026, according to the organization.

The group argues that the prison system is violating their free speech and failing to provide “due process,” claiming it is trashing mail without giving the senders a fair chance to appeal the decision.

Read SCDC’s response to the lawsuit here:

The book policy changed Oct. 1, 2025. We notified the inmates and public in August that the change was coming.

By requiring that all book orders come directly from established, nationally recognized online retailers, SCDC ensures that materials are shipped securely from controlled commercial distribution centers — minimizing risks while still allowing for extensive access to reading material.

The policy change coincided with a six-month investigation into a scheme run by a former employee and former inmate, who mailed drug-filled books to more than 20 inmates at 14 prisons. The packages were disguised as coming directly from a bookstore. If you want to know more about this, let me know. Here is the press release about this: homeAction.do

It also coincided with an enormous growing problem of drug-soaked mail being sent to institutions.

This policy was implemented because of safety and security concerns arising from books handled by civilians at unverified brick-and-mortar stores prior to shipment. Such handling increases the risk of contraband introduction, chemical contamination, or concealed materials, which pose serious threats to staff and inmate safety.

SCDC analyzed booksellers and how books are shipped to determine safety and security risks. We also considered booksellers used by other states who had already started this process. Several of these vendors specifically serve incarcerated populations.

The six vendors we chose provide inmates and their families with access to more than 7 million titles. 

If a specific book title is not listed on one of the approved vendor websites, families may contact those vendors directly to inquire about special ordering options or comparable alternatives. Many vendors can locate out-of-stock or third-party titles through their extended distribution networks.

Each prison has a library with a varying number of books. Inmates also have access to electronic books through Project Gutenberg, which offers more than 75,000 different titles. The inmates can access all of these electronic books for free.

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