August 29, 2000 Governor Gray Davis Governor's Office State Capitol, Floor 1 Sacramento, CA 95814 Via facsimile (916-445-4633) and US Mail Dear Governor Davis: A bill that would allow journalists access to prison inmates (AB 2101) has been passed by the California legislature and should be presented to you in the coming week. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press strongly encourages you to sign the bill. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is an organization dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of journalists. We believe that the principles behind the First Amendment require a careful consideration of AB 2101. It has long been recognized that the press serves the public interest when it reveals timely, truthful information about our government and its activities. Prisons are a vital government function for promoting the safety of our communities. Unfortunately, there have been instances of improper conduct within our nation's prisons. Whether such improprieties are perpetrated by prison employees or the inmates themselves, it would be advantageous to allow journalists to have meaningful access to inmates to discover the truth. It would boost the public's confidence to know that the government is not trying to conceal its affairs, and the press would be able to further alleviate the public's concerns by educating them about the process and procedures that make our communities safer. Prison security should not be a concern in signing the bill because AB 2101 provides ample discretion for wardens to deny a particular interview where security risks are too high. The freedom of the press, therefore, need not be abridged by a blanket policy banning interviews. It has been reported that you are concerned that face-to-face interviews between journalists and inmates would unnecessarily bestow special privileges upon the media. We urge you to consider that, although the newsgathering process requires procedures that are slightly different from an ordinary visit, accommodations such as allowing cameras, pens, notepads or other tools of the trade are necessary to make a complete and accurate historical record. The citizens of California, as well as the rest of the United States, should be educated about our prisons -- especially when those prisons are funded with taxpayer dollars. A free, unrestrained news media is essential to that educational process. We ask that you sign AB 2101 so that the press may effectively chronicle the activities of our justice system and the public may feel more confident in the performance of our prisons. Sincerely, Lucy Dalglish Executive Director The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press cc: Assemblywoman Carole Migden By fax: 415-673-5794
Suite 900 1815 N. Fort Myer Drive Arlington, VA 22209-1817 (703) 807-2100 rcfp@rcfp.org http://www.rcfp.org Lucy A. Dalglish Executive Director STEERING COMMITTEE • GAIL APPLESON   Reuters America Inc. • SCOTT APPLEWHITE   The Associated Press • ROSEMARY ARMAO   Sarasota Herald-Tribune • CHARLES R. BABCOCK   The Washington Post • CHIP BOK   Akron Beacon Journal • TOM BROKAW   NBC News • EARL CALDWELL   Syndicated columnist • WALTER CRONKITE   CBS News • GARY DECKELNICK   Asbury Park Press • CARROLL DOHERTY   Pew Research Center • RICHARD S. DUNHAM   Business Week • SARA FRITZ   St. Petersburg Times • FRED GRAHAM   Court TV • JOHN C. HENRY   Houston Chronicle • NAT HENTOFF   The Village Voice • KAREN GRAY HOUSTON   Fox News • ALBERT HUNT   The Wall Street Journal • PETER JENNINGS   ABC News • STEPHEN LABATON   The New York Times • JAMES MANN   Los Angeles Times • TONY MAURO   American Lawyer Media • WILSON F. MINOR   Factual Reporting Service • JEFF NESMITH   Cox Newspapers • SANDRA PEDDIE   Newsday • DAN RATHER   CBS News • DAVID ROSENBAUM   The New York Times • CRISTINE RUSSELL   The Washington Post • CAROLE SIMPSON   ABC News Affiliations appear only for purposes of identification.