Civil rights groups decry effort to punish US federal inmates for social media use

FILE PHOTO: A blue verification badge and the logos of Facebook and Instagram are seen in this picture illustration taken January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed change to U.S. federal prison rules that would punish inmates for using social media or directing others to do so on their behalf could infringe on the free speech rights of people who advocate for incarcerated people, activists say.

Civil liberties advocates are facing a Monday deadline to push the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to back away from the proposed change, included in a planned overhaul of its disciplinary rules for the more than 155,000 inmates in its custody.