Junior Antenor, Keilan C. Ebli, and Loren J. Larson Jr. v. State of Alaska, Department of Corrections

Summary

The court reversed and remanded the denial of the inmates’ challenge to local telephone rates because the record and factual findings were insufficient to determine whether the rates violated statutory and constitutional rights to reasonable telephone access and rehabilitation. It held that the settlement agreement’s plain language capped local-call charges at $0.50, but breach of the agreement alone could not support the prospective relief sought under the governing prisoner-litigation statute. The court affirmed denial of the challenge to DOC’s rejection of a computer-programming book, holding that the restriction was rationally related to institutional security and did not deny the prisoner all rehabilitative opportunities.