Inmate ‘Directed by God’ to Write on Faith, Sex, Loses Appeal

A federal inmate convicted of sexually exploiting her minor daughter lost her Fifth Circuit appeal challenging the confiscation by prison psychologists of her 144-page manuscript on Christian morality and sexual conduct.

Lisa Biron, who represented herself, failed to produce any authority holding that a prison official’s mistaken designation of an inmate’s personal writings as contraband violates the constitution or other federal law, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held Wednesday. As a result, the defendant prison officials have qualified immunity from Biron’s claims, the court said in an unpublished, 2-1 opinion.

The court went further, saying ...