CARTHAGE, Mo. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a ban on newspapers for inmates at a southwest Missouri jail.

The ACLU says the ban at the Jasper County jail violates the inmates’ constitutional rights.

Bill Fleischaker, an attorney for Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn, says the ban was imposed for security reasons. He says some newspaper articles can cause fights between inmates.

The Joplin Globe reports Fleischaker plans to work with jail officials to review issues raised by the ACLU.

Doug Bonney, legal director for the ACLU in Kansas and western Missouri, says Jasper County is believed to be the only jail in the state that bans all newspapers.

He suggested jail employees could clip out articles that might cause problems. Jail officials said that would be too time-consuming.

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