Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

241.251 PRESS ACCESS FOR INMATES.
    Subdivision 1. Right of press access. Any inmate of a state correctional facility shall be
permitted to speak in person or by phone at the inmate's own expense to any representative of
the public news media, as defined in subdivision 4, on a daily basis between the hours of 8:00
a.m. and 9:00 p.m. except in emergency situations as defined in subdivision 5; provided that it
does not interfere with the inmate's regularly assigned duties. The right to speak in person with a
representative of the news media shall not constitute a regular facility visit.
Correctional authorities may limit the exercise of privileges conferred by this section by any
individual inmate to one telephone call or interview per week.
    Subd. 2. Right of correspondence. Any inmate or group of inmates of a state correctional
facility shall be permitted to correspond by mail with any public news media or representatives
thereof, as defined in subdivision 4, on a regular basis.
    Subd. 3. News media interviews. Subject to the provisions of section 243.55 and the
duty of the chief executive officer to take reasonable precautions to prevent the introduction of
contraband into a correctional facility, representatives of the public news media shall, upon their
own request, be permitted to interview any consenting inmate or representatives of a consenting
group of inmates of the state at the times and under the circumstances described in subdivision
1. Any representative of the public news media who is denied access to a correctional facility
must be given the reasons therefor in writing, and the representative may appeal such denial
to the commissioner of corrections.
    Subd. 4. Definition; news media representative. A "representative of the public news
media" means a person employed by and authorized to represent any television station licensed
by the Federal Communications Commission, any radio station licensed by the Federal
Communications Commission, national wire service, or any newspaper or periodical having a
monthly statewide circulation of at least 1,000 copies.
    Subd. 5. Definition; emergency. An emergency shall be defined as a situation in which, in
the best judgment of the correctional authorities, there is an imminent threat to life, security or
property.
History: 1974 c 560 s 1; 1979 c 102 s 13; 1986 c 444

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes