Va. corrections department sued

Two civil rights groups have sued the Virginia Department of Corrections for banning a handbook from state prisons that explains the court system, methods for legal research and constitutional rights, according to reporter Anita Kumar.

The Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild filed suit Wednesday morning in the Western District of Virginia, claiming that the state violated the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

"Virginia prisons are banning a document that explains to prisoners how they can exercise their constitutional rights to protect themselves from physical abuse, poor conditions and other mistreatment,'' center attorney Rachel Meeropol said. "If it is dangerous to educate people about the Constitution, there are a lot of law schools who are going to be in trouble."

For more details, check out the Virginia Politics blog.