Prison Libraries
When most people think about prison libraries today they most likely recall the 1995 movie, "The Shawshank Redemption" which revolved around the library of Maine's state prison from 1947 through the late1960's (Shawshank pg). The movie portrayed the evolution of the library during some twenty years, as it went from a small cramped room housing a meager selection of books to larger quarters with vast selections of books, music and educational materials (Shawshank pg). This evolution would not and could not have taken place if not for the relentless solicitations by the movie's main character, Andy Dufresne. His tireless efforts resulted in donations from various organizations (Shawshank pg). The movie was an accurate depiction of a typical prison library. Until the last century, most were non-existent and the few that did exist were poorly stocked. Due to the funding shortages that have always faced federal and state prisons, prison libraries, as in "Shawshank," rely heavily on donations from various charities and foundations. Moreover, just as in "Shawshank," prison libraries have become communal niches where inmates gather for entertainment, research, support groups and educational classes.
As grim as the conditions were portrayed at Main's state prison in the movie, "The Shawshank Redemption," they were actually several steps above the lifestyle of Main's original state prison. The Honorable Benjamin Greene and the Honorable Daniel Rose, following their research and investigations for the establishment of a state prison, issued the following report to the State Legislature on January 23, 1823:
That State Prisons should be so constructed that even their aspect might be terrific and appear like what they should be, dark and comfortless abodes of GUILT and WRETCHEDNESS; that no mode of punishment ever has been or ever can be adopted so good as CLOSE CONFINEMENT in a SOLITARY
CELL, in which, cut off from all hope of relief during the time for which the prisoner shall have been sentenced.... That, the convict shall be furnished with a hammock in which he may sleep, a block on which he may sit and with such coarse through wholesome food as may be suited to a person in a situation designed for grief and pentinaence and shall be favored with only such light from the firmament as to enable him to read the New Testament which shall be his sole companion and guide to a better life" (Main pg).
Most likely the Greene-Rose investigation included the Quaker experiment in Pennsylvania. In 1787, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a Quaker who led reformers to lobby the Pennsylvania legislature for a state prison based on reform through solitude and reflection stated, "Let the avenue to this house be rendered difficult and gloomy by mountains and morasses. Let the doors be of iron, and let the grating, occasioned by opening and shutting them, be increased by an echo that shall deeply pierce the soul" (Walsh pg). Pennsylvania's Eastern State Prison was completed in 1836 and was the most expensive building in America, costing $772,600, and during the next 100 years became the model for more than 300 prisons worldwide (Walsh pg). Sadly, grim surrounding inside and out were the norm for prisons during the 1800's. An English Heritage book dedicated to the prison architecture of the Victorian era has been "deemed 'unsuitable' to be seen by prisoners, and is banned from prison libraries" in England (Smith pg). Eastern State was closed in 1971 and certified as a National Historic Landmark. Ironically, the Pennsylvania Prison Society, the direct descendant of the Quaker reform organizations, uses the site for historic tours (Walsh pg). Today, Main's State Prison is host to various cultural and educational facilities including one of the best Law Libraries in the state (Main pg).
Prison libraries have gone through many changes through the centuries. In the 1830's, Massachusetts State Prison enlarged its library through generous philanthropists to such an extent that when a legislative committee visited in 1845, they were surprised at the quantity of books available to prisoners, remarking, "there are several hundred volumes of valuable and useful books" (Goldsmith 109). Many throughout history have championed the cause of prison libraries. Upon discovering inmates had no reading material, Linda Gilbert of Chicago established the first library in Cook County Jail in 1864 by donating over 4,000 miscellaneous volumes of literature. Gilbert then helped to establish libraries in every prison in Illinois as other services for prisoners as well. In 1872, Gilbert moved to New York City and in 1873 established the Gilbert Library and Prisoners' Aid Fund, competing with other agencies such as the Prison Association and the Women's Prison Association, supporting prison libraries and often offering employment to released prisoners...
Prisons as an Area of Corrections Throughout the years, prisons have become a major component of the criminal justice system since they act as institutions that help in punishment of convicted criminals and deterrent for crime prevention. This article examines these facilities as part of the justice system and how they function in accomplishing their purpose. The analysis includes an exploration of the various types of prisons such as jails, federal,
'" Two steps if taken, however, would almost halve our prison population. First, repeal state laws that now mandate the incarceration of drug offenders and develop instead many more public and private treatment centers to which nonviolent drug abusers can be referred. Second, stop using jails or prisons to house the mentally ill. Tougher sentencing is being justified, in part, by the widespread belief that incarceration is the chief reason violent crime
S. during 2004 were actually at the lowest level in over three decades (U.S.). Given the growing prison population, U.S. legal experts are urging policy-makers to reconsider current sentencing policies, in an effort to avoid expensive incarceration costs and to invest in more productive prevention and treatment approaches to crime (U.S.). Many believe that prisons and incarceration have become the panacea for all of society's ills, and where once the U.S. looked
The need for less restrictive parole policies could help relieve prison overcrowding (Kunselman & Johnson, 2004). According to Hughes (2007), "On any given day, a large number of the admissions to America's prisons come from individuals who have failed to comply with the conditions of their parole or probation supervision. For years, the revocation and incarceration rate of probationers and parolees has had a significant impact on the growth of
In the United States alone, sexual attacks in prison are considered rape when penetration occurs. It is estimated that inmates are approached with unwanted sexual advances over 80,000 times per day (Anderson, 2001). Other more shocking statistics are (Anderson, 2001): There is an estimated 300,000++ instances of prison rape a year. Among this, 196,000 are estimated to happen to men in prison while 123,000 are estimated to happen to men in
However, given that the problem of overcrowding is pervasive in the prison system in general, and not simply at these specific junctures of the judicial process, the choice between a low-use jail and a high-use jail would seem to be the real question. More and more prisoners who might once be shipped to the state penitentiary are now being confined to jails for more extended periods of time than ever
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