Turner v. Safley

Turner v. Safley (1987) is a Supreme Court case that addressed prisoners' rights, specifically whether inmates can marry and communicate with each other across prison boundaries. The Court ruled that while prisoners retain some rights, those rights can be limited to maintain safety, security, and order within prisons. In this case, the Court upheld a prison policy that restricted prisoner marriages between inmates at different facilities, emphasizing that such restrictions are acceptable if they are reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. The case clarified that prison regulations must be balanced against inmates’ rights but can be upheld if justified.