ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Human Rights Defense Center has filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Detention Center over its paper book ban.

The suit, filed on Dec. 4, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, names Bernalillo County, County Manager Cindy Chavez, MDC Warden Steven Smith, and other officials as defendants. HRDC claims MDC violated a previous settlement by banning books and magazines sent to prisoners.

“Prisoners have a well-established right to receive books and magazines via the mail from publishers and vendors,” said Paul Wright, HRDC’s executive director. “It is outrageous that we are having to fight to vindicate rights which were established decades ago.”

HRDC says it previously won a similar case against MDC in 2015, resulting in a settlement that required MDC to allow books and provide a process for appealing censorship. MDC recently instituted a new policy banning paper books, but allowing prisoners access to books on tablets.

HRDC is also alleging censorship. Since July, HRDC says at least 160 publications sent to MDC prisoners were censored and returned to them without explanation.

KOB reached out to Bernalillo County for comment. MDC Warden Kai Smith issued the following response: “Bernalillo County’s legal department will review the lawsuit and determine how to proceed.”