This morning the Supreme Court is hearing argument in Beard v. Banks, which presents the following question: "May a prison deny inmates newspapers and magazines as punishment for disciplinary violations?"
We might be wearing pajamas rather than black robes, but the answer to us seems obvious: it depends on the publication being withheld. Denying inmates access to the Washington TImes isn't punishment, but an act of mercy.
We also expect the answer to vary from justice to justice. Preventing Justice Thomas from reading Hustler would constitute punishment; doing the same for Justice Souter would not. Maybe Souter could be cut off from accessing Details?
(Actually, we take that back. Although there are reasons to suspect that Justice Souter enjoys Details, he doesn't seem stylish enough to fall within the magazine's core demographic; maybe he could be denied Runner's World? Chief Justice Roberts is probably the Details reader on the Court.)
