June 28th, 2009 | 
Author: An Arkansas Department of Corrections officer barked at a photographer, demanded to see her pictures (illegal without a warrant) and told her that it was illegal to take pictures of inmates working in public (no such law). Is this how Arkansas Welcomes visitors to the Arkansas WELCOME Center?
According to the photographer:
At the Arkansas Welcome Center, (a public rest area) I got hassled by an Arkansas Department of Corrections officer because he thought I was taking photos of his inmates. WITH MY MACRO LENS. Idiot.
They apparently were on work release and were cleaning up the rest area, far in the distance of the stand of sunflowers I was shooting. I never would have even noticed them if he hadn’t called my attention to them, and frankly didn’t give a crap about them.
He asked to see the photos on my camera (I did not show them to him) and said that it was “highly illegal” to take photos of inmates, and that if I had any photos I was to delete them immediately.
I said “I’m trying to take a photo of this flower; do you mind?” and ignored him until he went away.
First of all she was not even taking pictures of the inmates but even if she was it would not have mattered. If they don’t want anyone taking pictures of their inmates then don’t expose them to the public. Anything in public view can be photographed from public space!
Posted in Photography and the Law
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Some flowers are very sensitive. Maybe they are sensitive in a national security way….
I live in Arkansas and it appears that the rules about what can and can’t be photographed here haven’t filtered down to local law. No problem with cops in Little Rock…..yet. However, having had to deal with several small town cops in the past 40 years of driving, I’m sure some of them had to work very hard to get the GED so they could go from insecurity guard to Po-lice officer.
Let’s say it again: Taking pictures while on public property of ANYTHING is not illegal. Anywhere. What is it about this that is so difficult for LEOs to comprehend?
Huh. If photography of inmates is illegal, wouldn’t ordering the destruction of evidence be doubly so?
Apparently Arkansas now uses artist’s impressions for their prison records.