Sunday, October 3, 2010

Connecticut State Senator Concerned over Prisoners' Access to Certain Books


Link to AP story in the October 3 Charlotte Observer, "Conn. prison inmates have choice of violent books".

Books mentioned in article:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.
If You Really Loved Me by Ann Rule.
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson.

Excerpt: Policies for operating prison libraries vary widely from state to state, and sometimes from prison to prison, the Library Association said.

Stone said the group has had to fight to keep religious texts in some prisons, while other institution allow almost any book that can be found in a public library.

Federal prisons are required to have libraries that include "a variety of reading materials," including fiction and nonfiction. The Bureau of Prisons' written policy also does not address violent content.

The Library Association has put together a "Bill of Rights" for prison libraries that it says should help inmates with self-improvement, education and entertainment.

"Even those individuals that a lawful society chooses to imprison permanently," it states, "deserve access to information, to literature, and to a window on the world
."

My guess is that some inmates will gain as much, if not more knowledge about crime techniques from talking with each other.  OK, everyone in solitary confinement!

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