Research

The resources below have been selected to provide a starting point for those wishing to learn more about prison and jail library services.

Other Prison/Jail Library Projects

• Books Through Bars, 2004. http://www.booksthroughbars.org/ (21 April 2004).

  Books Through Bars was founded in the late 1980s by employees of New Society Publishers. They send quality reading material to inmates that "encourages creative dialogue on the criminal justice system." In 2003, the group sent over 11,000 packages to individual inmates.

• Prison Book Program, 1 April 2004. http://www.prisonbookprogram.org/ (21 April 2004).

  The Prison Book Program has been supplying reading materials to inmates since 1972. They believe that literacy is a crucial step in assisting inmates, as "education is the only tool proven to help prevent people from returning to prison again and again."

Professional Organizations

• Correctional Education Association, 2004. http://www.ceanational.org/ (21 April 2004).

  The Correctional Education Association is a non-profit organization providing services to educators and administrators serving students in correctional settings. It was founded in 1946 and is the largest affiliate of the American Correctional Association. The CEA consists of a network of educators who strive to work together to increase the effectiveness of inmate education. The site has resources for members as well as inmates.

• American Correctional Association, http://www.aca.org/ (21 April 2004).

  Founded in 1870, the American Correctional Association is the oldest and largest international correctional association worldwide. They provide a professional organization for all fields related to corrections in a variety of capacities. The site contains information on publications, accreditation, government affairs, and professional development, among others.

Prison Librarianship

• Maryland Correctional Education Libraries. "Directory of State Prison Librarians" (pdf). 2002. http://www.ceanational.org/profdev/statelibdir2002.pdf (21 April 2004).

  This is the authoritative directory listing of prison libraries, published by the CEA. The directory is arranged by state and includes names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and employing agencies of librarians working in state adult and juvenile correctional libraries. It includes a listing of web sites of interest dealing with incarceration.

• Michel S. Perdreau. "Prison Librarian Clearinghouse," http://www.seorf.ohiou.edu/%7Exx132/ (21 April 2004).

  Perdreau has compiled links pertaining to issues surrounding correctional librarianship. This guide covers a wide range of topics, from law resources to issues surrounding prison life.

• Rubin, Rhea Joyce and Daniel Suvak, eds. Libraries Inside : A Practical Guide for Prison Librarians. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, c1995.

  A manual consisting of topical chapters written by experienced prison librarians. Divergent views on controversial issues are presented. Includes a suggested reading list for prison librarians.

• Vogel, Brenda. Down for the Count : A Prison Library Handbook. Metuchen, NJ : Scarecrow Press, 1995.

  A practical handbook written to support and encourage all librarians providing service to prison communities. Includes bibliographic references, criteria and standards, and sample surveys.

For Further Research

• Benamati, Dennis C., Phyllis A. Schultze, Adam C. Bouloukos, and Graeme R. Newman. Criminal Justice Information : How to Find It, How to Use It. Phoenix, AZ : Oryx Press, 1998.

  Attempts to show how criminal justice information is now accessed and disseminated online. Of special interest is a chapter on how to judge the authority of information. Includes a list of websites and an index.

• Nelson, Bonnie R. Criminal Justice Research in Libraries and On the Internet. Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 1997.

  A guide for library and Internet research in the expanding field of criminal justice that is concerned with crime and its societal context. Clues the reader in to basic research skills and search strategies as well as the special problems of legal research. Includes a glossary, author and title index, Internet resources index, and a subject index.