Court Documents Describe Prison Life For Suspected Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

AP Photo/Federal Bureau of InvestigationDzhokhar Tsarnaev

Suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is living in "nearly total isolation" and is under strict communication restrictions because the Attorney General and FBI fear he might try to carry out or encourage another attack from prison, according to a court document filed by his lawyers.

During an interview with the FBI after his capture, Tsarnaev reportedly "reaffirmed his commitment to jihad and expressed hope that his actions would inspire others to engage in violent jihad," the government said in a memo cited by Tsarnaev's lawyers.

His lawyers are now saying in a memo that the court-imposed restrictions are making it difficult to properly communicate with Tsarnaev and that they're "impairing the ability of defense counsel to provide competent representation."

That memo, released Wednesday, reveals what life behind bars is like for Tsarnaev:

• In respect to legal phone calls, no person, other than pre-cleared attorneys, paralegals, or investigators may participate in phone calls with Tsarnaev or even "listen to or overhear" any part of the calls. Calls cannot be recorded.
• Tsarnaev's non-legal mail, phone calls, and visits are restricted to immediate family members only.
• Tsarnaev can send only one letter - comprised of three double-sided pages - to one adult per week.
• Only one adult can visit Tsarnaev at a time, and there can't be any physical contact.
• Family members aren't allowed to record phone calls with Tsarnaev or discuss the contents of their communication with any third party. (In June, Tsarnaev's mother released a recording of one of her calls with her son from prison.)
• Tsarnaev isn't allowed to talk to the media.
• Tsarnaev isn't allowed to share a cell, participate in group prayer service, or communicate with any of the other inmates.
• Tsarnaev has limited outdoor access and is only allowed to see the outside world in a small, outdoor enclosure.

The Boston Marathon bombing attack killed three people and wounded 260 others in April. Dzhokhar, a native of Russia, is suspected of carrying out the attack with his older brother Tamerlan, who died in a shootout with police.

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