Federal prisons to return religious books

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Bowing to pressure from religious groups, U.S. prison officials are returning religious materials removed from prison chapel libraries.

The materials were removed after a 2004 Justice Department report warned that the books could incite violence, The New York Times said Thursday.

The removal of the books has been criticized by Republican lawmakers and Christians groups.

A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons said the bureau will allow the books to remain on the shelves while it creates a list of acceptable materials.

"The bureau will begin immediately to return to chapel libraries materials that were removed in June 2007, with the exception of any publications that have been found to be inappropriate, such as material that could be radicalizing or incite violence," the spokeswoman said in an e-mail to the newspaper.

The review of materials is expected to be completed by January.