Coleman v. State

BISTLINE, Justice.

The sole issue presented by this appeal is whether a prison policy which prohibits an inmate’s access to the law library passes constitutional muster. The district judge held that a ten-day restriction on access to a law library, applicable only to those prisoners who receive disciplinary detention, is facially invalid because it abridges the fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts. We affirm.

Respondent Andrew Coleman is incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution (ISCI). On October 3, 1985, he was confined to thirty days in disciplinary…