Prison officials will have to take another look at prisoner Haris Naraine’s complaint that they cancelled two cable TV channels showing pornography. Although prisoners had paid for the service, the channels were blocked following orders from the government department that runs the country’s penitentiaries.
Correctional Service of Canada had sent word that all prisons across the country should remove all sexually explicit material and block X-rated television content. The service said the right to access the material was not absolute and that the move would help maintain a safe environment, especially for female correctional officers who had expressed concern. The government in power had a tough on crime agenda.
Prisoner argues constitutional right violated
Naraine had argued Corrections officials had no right to censor what prisoners legally bought and that doing so violated their right to freedom of expression as guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Judge Jocelyn Gagne said there were significant gaps in the information provided by the Correctional Service, making it difficult to support its decision to deny Naraine’s wish to file a grievance over the matter. The grievance procedure can now go ahead.
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