The libraries discussed are located inside correctional facilities and not associated with law libraries or academic programs.
OBJECTIVES OF SERVICE
According to the Encyclopedia of American Prisons, the 1977 Supreme Court case of Bounds vs. Smith "specified that inmates not only have a right of access to court, but they also have a right to meaningful access to court. The state must provide them with the tools necessary to develop and present their claims in court" (283). The tools include an adequate law library or legal services as well as writing utensils, notary services and postal materials.
Now, in 2003, libraries found in correctional institutes serve many purposes for inmates. These include information advisory services for criminal cases as well as any civil cases that appear while incarcerated, education, minimally literacy, and with higher expectations, GED preparation, bibliotherapy, the selection of books as a means of therapy, and providing material for a positive past time/entertainment.
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
Although there are many standards to acquiring materials for libraries in correctional facilities set forth by the American Correctional Association and the American Library Association’s Library Standards for Adult Correctional Institution, Diane Reese, in Libraries Inside, a Practical Guide for Prison Librarians, states that, “Building a collection to serve the [prison] library’s community is a process, not an end "the librarian must have the sensitivity to assemble a collection that meets the real needs, and not merely the stated preferences, of prisoners" (69). This process is usually a one-man show, with little help from clerks and volunteers. The books acquired come from a limited budget or donations from local libraries or outreach programs.
STAFFING MODEL
Many prison libraries have a professional librarian on staff, but many more prisons share the librarian who splits his or her time traveling from prison to prison conducting reference interviews. In either case selected institutions, depending on the inmate population, employ civilian library clerks, but in most instances an inmate is assigned to staff the library. Theoretically, the larger the prison population, the larger the in-house staff. While the job of each inmate is designated by the Correctional Programming Deputy, the librarian will usually have the final ‘word’ over who does and does not meet the organizational needs of the library. He or she will conduct an interview to select the inmates to work in the library, and due to the nature of prison, the constant flow of in-coming and released prisoners, will develop a training program to meet the natural turn-over rates found in prison libraries (Mallinger 59-67).
ORGANIZATIONAL HIERARCHY
The organizational hierarchy of a prison library depends solely on the funding of the library itself. William J. Coyle offers three models, with each demonstrating a similar basic model. The first consists of a state library establishing a branch inside the prison. Although this model is rare and not practiced as often as it was since its inception in the 1930’s, it still offers an optimum set-up for some prisons. See Type A.
The next model represents a facility whose funding is based solely on the facility itself. Although this model is most common, it sets the highest standards because of its need for a professional librarian on staff. See Type B.
The final model demonstrates funding as it is shared by the correctional facility and the state. In this scheme the librarian’s salary is funded by the prison and the materials are provided by the state library system. See Type C.
FUNDING SOURCES
Aside from the state assistance demonstrated in the above section, prison libraries receive much of their materials and funding through donations, community libraries, and the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) of 1966. This act "provides federal matching funds in support of state institutional libraries" (57).
There are also many community organizations that collect materials and books for distribution in prison libraries. These organizations are facilitated by volunteers and vary from city to city. Many are associated with the public libraries and a few with local colleges. The list of websites below contains a sampling of community groups involved.
Books Through Bars
http://www.booksthroughbars.org/
University of Wisconsin - Madison - Jail Library Student Group
http://slisweb.lis.wisc.edu/~jail/
Women’s Prison Group Project
http://www.prisonactivist.org/wpbp/
CLIENTELE SERVED
Many people not involved in the prison community believe that the prison library only serves the inmates within that prison. What they don’t understand is that not only are the inmates a major client, but the families of inmates also benefit from these services. According to Stephanie Thorson, outreach prison librarian for the Minnesota State Library, many women inmates use the information in the libraries and services offered by prison libraries to inquire about family issues, especially those pertaining to their children and parental rights (53).
WEB PAGE EVALUATION
There are no independent prison library web pages. All links found were of community services, listed in "Funding Sources," and divisions of larger web pages for state/local libraries where the prison library section is merely an address and phone number. This lack of websites is due to a lack funding and staff to design and upkeep the website. Since a majority of states do not permit inmate web access, prison websites are not expected in the near future.
ISSUES
There are many issues that plague prison libraries on a daily basis. One of the most controversial is automation within the library (Thorson 50). While computer systems and the Internet boast a readiness to supply individuals with their information needs, the incarcerated do not have this luxury. This restriction is due to the virtual nature of the World Wide Web. Just as there is the possibility of an inward information flow, there is also the potential of the outward, which gives access to e-mail, web sites, chat rooms, and many other communication portals. This issue is related to victim advocacy issues as well as a threat to the pure nature of incarceration - the removal from society. This issue is not one to be resolved in the near future although the present and future is a world of information linked to computers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Coyle, William, J. Libraries in Prison. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987.
Dixen, R. & S. Thorson. "How Libraries Serve People in Prison." Computers in Libraries. 21.9 (Oct. 2001): 48-53.
McShane, Marilyn, Frank P. Williams III, eds. Encyclopedia of American Prisons. New York: Garland Publications, 1996.
Reese, Diane, Stephen M. Mallinger. Libraries Inside: a Practical Guide for Prison Librarians. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1995.
