Source reporting: Dallas Express
Dallas County, Sheriff Marian Brown and Chief Deputy Shane Sowell face a federal lawsuit challenging restrictions on physical books and periodicals mailed to people held in the county jail, according to the Dallas Express. The Human Rights Defense Center alleges that the policy violates its rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and the Texas Constitution.
The organization filed its complaint September 4 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr is presiding. The court had not ruled on the allegations when the Dallas Express published its report.
The Human Rights Defense Center publishes Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, which cover court decisions, legal rights and conditions in correctional facilities. Dallas County’s public mail policy says jail occupants must purchase books electronically for use on tablets and that physical books sent through the mail will not be accepted.
The publisher alleges that its publications are unavailable through the tablet system, effectively preventing delivery to intended recipients. It also claims county officials rejected materials without adequate notice or a meaningful appeal process. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the challenged restrictions and procedures for contesting rejected publications. Those assertions are allegations in a pending civil case, not established violations.
Brown has cited security concerns and access to digital materials. The Dallas Express reported that she said physical books were removed from housing areas in 2021, while jail libraries continued to make books available. That distinction is central to the dispute: the county points to general reading access, while the publisher challenges its inability to mail specific printed material to specific people.
The case also follows earlier federal litigation. A 2007 consent decree involving Prison Legal News recognized the publication and similar materials as permissible mail while allowing the county to inspect and reject items for legitimate security, safety, discipline or criminal-activity concerns. For content-based rejections, the decree required notice, an explanation and an appeal opportunity.
The lawsuit raises a significant local public-integrity question about whether jail security rules are being applied consistently with constitutional protections and prior court obligations. The outcome could clarify how Dallas County must balance institutional safety, access to information and procedural safeguards when it restricts incoming publications.