Factors in Prison Litigation
Assignment Guidelines Out of all of the constitutional amendments, the First Amendment embodies the foundation of the American way of life and is highly valued by American society. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. expressed the belief of many that free speech is essential for competition and the search for truth. Freedom of speech is important to the United States because it allows for the evaluation and challenge of governmental abuses of power. Research the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, explain its major provisions, and identify the provisions that are of significance to prisoners. Using your course materials, textbook, and Web resources, research the provisions of the First Amendment, and answer the following questions: Which of the major provisions of the First Amendment do you feel is the most important to prisoners? Explain why. When responding to your peers, if you chose a different provision, argue why your chosen provision is more important. If you chose the same provision, compare your justification to your peers justirication. Did he or she have a better justification for choosing that provision?
