Howard recently joined the board of the Human Rights Defense Center, the parent organization of Prison Legal News (PLN). PLN is an independent magazine published by and for prisoners. We represented PLN in 2008, when Massachusetts refused to permit PLN to distribute books to its prisoners. We brought a lawsuit to end the unlawful censorship by the Massachusetts Department of Correction. The case settled, and Massachusetts prisoners are now free to order PLN materials.
The Human Rights Defense Center also engages in advocacy efforts to reform the criminal justice system and educate the public about criminal justice and prison-related issues. Click here to read the HRDC 2012 Annual Report.