Ohio Prison Banned Books Gallery 1

The Ohio prison department says it allowed one unillustrated version of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” into a prison because it didn’t show symbols associated with any white supremacist groups. The department’s policy says symbols associated with groups deemed a security threat can be banned, but books can’t be banned for appealing to a specific racial or ethnic group.
 

Ohio’s administrative code says officials can block any book that is “a threat to the rehabilitation of inmates” or the security and discipline of the prison. The policy lays out six categories of content that can get a book banned, but leaves the door open for other reasons.
 

If local prison staff decide to reject a book, the intended recipient is supposed to be notified, and can ask the state prison department’s publication screening committee to review the decision. Books only show up on the department’s official banned book list if the committee issued a ruling.