A prison inmate in Brooklyn, alleges his First Amendment rights are being violated because he cannot have access to jigsaw puzzles in prison.
The inmate, who was convicted of fraud has petitioned the courts for the puzzles. He states he should be able to order a jigsaw from Amazon.com the same way he can order a book.
“A puzzle does not present any safety or security issues,” he wrote, “and it will be delivered to the mailroom from the publisher similar to a book or magazine.”
“A puzzle presents no additional staffing security for the mailroom,” he added, saying that he would be willing to donate the puzzle upon completion.
The request for the puzzle was denied by Metropolitan Detention Center, because jigsaws are not approved as inmate personal property and can be provided by the recreation department of the prison.
The Justice Department states that a jigsaw puzzle stored and assembled in a cell could cause unnecessary clutter, pose a fire hazard, and/or limit the living area.
Now, the dispute may head to trial, so this will be an interesting case to follow.
Furthermore, 70 per cent of those with an annual income over £120,000 were found to puzzle at least three times a week."
