Skip to main content

Opinion

Opinion By: Albert B. Chandler III, Attorney General; Amye L. Bensenhaver, Assistant Attorney General

Open Records Decision

This question having been presented to the Attorney General in an open records appeal, and the Attorney General being sufficiently advised, we find that Kentucky State Penitentiary did not violate the Open Records Act in refusing to provide Phildosha's Umar Aljami with copies of the records identified in his April 18, 2002 records request because there were insufficient funds in his inmate account to pay for the copies. Mr. Aljami was so notified in KSP's April 24 response from Records Supervisor Nancy Duncan, a copy of which is attached. We believe that 98-ORD-157, a copy of which is also attached and incorporated by reference, is controlling.

A party aggrieved by this decision may appeal it by initiating action in the appropriate circuit court pursuant to KRS 61.880(5) and KRS 61.882. Pursuant to KRS 61.880(3), the Attorney General should be notified of any action in circuit court, but should not be named as a party in that action or in any subsequent proceedings.

Phildosha's Umar AljamiBox 5128Eddyville, KY 42038

Glenn HaeberlinKentucky State PenitentiaryP.O. Box 128Eddyville, KY 42038-0128

Steve DurhamDepartment of CorrectionsOffice of General Counsel2439 Old Lawrenceburg RoadFrankfort, KY 40602-2400

Will LundyDepartment of CorrectionsOffice of General Counsel2439 Old Lawrenceburg RoadFrankfort, KY 40602-2400

LLM Summary
The Attorney General's decision finds that the Kentucky State Penitentiary did not violate the Open Records Act by refusing to provide an inmate with copies of records due to insufficient funds in the inmate's account to cover the costs of copying. The decision follows the precedent set by 98-ORD-157, which is cited as controlling in this matter.
Disclaimer:
The Sunshine Law Library is not exhaustive and may contain errors from source documents or the import process. Nothing on this website should be taken as legal advice. It is always best to consult with primary sources and appropriate counsel before taking any action.
Requested By:
Phildosha’s Umar Aljami
Agency:
Kentucky State Penitentiary
Type:
Open Records Decision
Lexis Citation:
2002 Ky. AG LEXIS 268
Cites:
Neighbors

Support Our Work

The Coalition needs your help in safeguarding Kentuckian's right to know about their government.