Prisoner Sues Over Restricted Access to Book

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- It's not "The Catcher in the Rye" or "The Anarchist Cookbook," but for Arkansas prison inmates, "Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions" is a banned book.

An attorney for East Arkansas regional Unit prisoner Steven Sera sued the Arkansas Department of Correction over access to "Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions," which includes requirements prisons must meet to be accredited by the American Correctional Association.

Sera's attorney, John Wesley Hall Jr., says the book is harmless because it contains general standards, not specific details. The department says information in the book about security procedures could be used to facilitate escapes.

Sera was convicted of rape for drugging two women with the sedative Rohypnol, and having sex with at least one of them while she was unconscious.