WICHITA, Kan.- A blanket ban on Internet use unlawfully deprives parolees convicted of sex crimes of more liberty than necessary because the Internet has become a necessary part of modern life, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals said the wording in a standard condition of supervised release used by the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Kansas conflicts with a 2001 ruling from the court because it suggests probation officers can completely ban a means of communication. The court noted that Internet use has become “even more central to participation in the civic and economic life of our society” since then. Full Article
Another battle that needs to be fought is Facebook’s ban on RC’s using its site. A large number of press outlets now use the FACEBOOK commneting engine exclusively, and this is inhibiting us from commenting on news stories and chilling our free speech. Facebook has become a utility much like the phone company. They should be held accountable.