WILLIAM OVERTON, DIRECTOR, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, et al. v. MICHELLE BAZZETTA et al.

Legal Principle at Issue

At issue are a series of rules promulgated by the Michigan Department of Corrections governing visits to prisoners by outsiders. Visits by prisoners' minor brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews were banned, as were visits by former inmates and others. And if an inmate violated the department's drug-abuse policies twice, all visitors were banned except for lawyers and clergy. Michelle Bazzetta and other inmates challenged the regulations as a violation of their due-process rights, the First Amendment right of association and of other privacy-related rights to maintain family relationships.

Action

Reversed. Petitioning party received a favorable disposition.