IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 97-11347

Conference Calendar

JOSEPH REED,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

versus

BRENDA WILKINSON,

Law Library Supervisor, et al.,

Defendants-Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 7:97-CV-149

April 10, 1998

Before JOLLY, JONES, and DUHÉ, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:* Joseph Reed, Texas prisoner No. 634538, appeals the district court's dismissal of his civil rights suit, filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as frivolous. Reed argues that he has been denied legal visits with other inmates in violation of his right of access to the courts and that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has violated the equal protection rights of indigent prisoners who are mentally ill by failing to provide such persons with legal representation in civil lawsuits. Having reviewed the

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4. record and Reed's appellate brief, we HOLD that Reed has failed to allege a constitutional violation. See Lewis v. Casey, 116 S. Ct. 2174, 2179-80 (1996); Henthorn v. Swinson, 955 F.2d 351, 354 (5th Cir. 1992); see also Brennan v. Stewart, 834 F.2d 1248, 1257 (5th Cir. 1988). This appeal is frivolous. It is DISMISSED. See 5th Cir. R. 42.2.