Court rejects attempt to silence prison-rights organization
By THE STAR STAFF
A Puerto Rico court has rejected an attempt to silence a prison‑rights organization, marking a significant win for free expression and public oversight of conditions inside the island’s correctional system.
A judge of the Ponce Trial Court dismissed Carolina Catering Corp.’s request for a preliminary injunction and declaratory judgment against the Defensoría de los Derechos Carcelarios (DDC), according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, which represents the organization.
The ruling, issued October 5 by Judge Hamed Santaella Carlo, found that the company’s request amounted to unconstitutional prior restraint. The judge warned that granting such an order would have a chilling effect on the press, media organizations, and the public’s ability to speak freely about matters of public concern.
Carolina Catering, the private contractor responsible for food services in Puerto Rico’s prisons, sued the DDC and its president, Dallie Cruz Ruiz, in July after the organization published social‑media posts alleging deficiencies in the meals provided to incarcerated people. The lawsuit sought damages of at least $1 million and asked the court to order the removal of the posts, halt any further publication, and force the defendants to issue a public retraction.
Fermín Arraiza Navas, legal director of the ACLU of Puerto Rico, said the decision reinforces core constitutional protections.
“Freedom of the press and expression exist precisely to ensure that people can denounce, question, and scrutinize issues of public interest without facing the threat of being silenced by a court order,” Arraiza said. “We celebrate this ruling, which reaffirms a principle indispensable to any democratic society.”
Rafael Rodríguez Rivera, director of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico’s Legal Aid Clinic, which represents Cruz Ruiz, emphasized the broader implications of the case.
“Silencing those who document or denounce possible irregularities in prisons would have consequences far beyond a single post,” Rodríguez said. “Prisons are not a business. How we treat people deprived of liberty says a great deal about us as a society, and that treatment is subject to scrutiny.”
The ACLU argued that the remedies Carolina Catering sought were incompatible with constitutional protections and would hinder the ability of advocates, journalists, and families to expose conditions affecting an especially vulnerable population.
The court agreed, noting that the public has a strong interest in protecting the right to express opinions without fear of legal retaliation. It also highlighted that prior restraint could discourage media outlets and citizens from reporting on issues inside correctional institutions.
For the ACLU, the ruling underscores the importance of safeguarding speech that sheds light on institutions largely closed to public view. Incarcerated people rely heavily on outside voices to bring attention to problems that may otherwise remain hidden.
