Books to Prisoners Challenge

As booksellers, we are acutely aware of the negative effects of censorship on society. An effective democracy requires the open exchange of ideas, and many important ideas are contained in book form. Books and reading can have an especially profound positive impact on prison inmates, giving them tools for learning and personal growth during their time of incarceration. The education of prisoners reduces their burden on society in many ways once they are reintegrated.

In Wisconsin, the staff of Rainbow Bookstore in Madison has run a statewide Books to Prisoners Project since 2006, and has sent over 4,000 packages of books to prisoners since then. (They welcome donations - see their website for information on donating). But in early August, I received a press release from the organization with the news that the state's Department of Corrections was barring Rainbow from delivering books to adult prisoners. A letter sent to the bookstore on May 13 by Department Administrator John Bett stated that, "effective immediately, the WI-DOC Division of Adult Institutions will no longer allow books or publications from Rainbow Bookstores in any DOC facility." As of the time of the press release, the two sides were communicating to try and work out the problem (though perhaps slowly on the DOC's part).

Wanting to help spread the word, I e-mailed the press release around to some friends and allies. It was picked up by our friend and fellow traveler in the book business, Claire Kirch, who writes for Publisher's Weekly. She delved into the story, and the resulting article will run nationwide in the magazine's next issue. Says Claire:

I just filed a report that'll run in Publishers Weekly's magazine Monday on booksellers sending books to prisons, and all the red tape and ridiculous hoops they have to jump through. Thanks, Carl, for the story idea that blossomed out of your tip! Re Wisconsin's DOC and Rainbow Books, the update is that Wisc's DOC was concerned that the Books to Prisoners book donation program was collecting used books offsite and mixing them with new books from the bookstore. They told me there's an incredible volume of books coming in; they are concerned about safety and security with so many used books going through their system. But, they sent a letter to the Books for Prisoners program and the bookstore, dated Aug. 22, asking to meet with them to find a solution to the problem. Of all the DOCs I spoke to for my report, I found the Wisc. DOC to be the most sincere and most receptive to making sure that books get into the hands of prisoners who wish to possess their own books. If anyone is interested, I can post a link to my entire report Monday. Utah is particularly restrictive when it comes to providing prisoners access to their own books. It's unbelievable.

Thanks Claire! A little citizen action and a media spotlight can do wonders for keeping our rights intact. Here's the article.

Youth Obsessed Culture?

There is certainly a lot to be alarmed about in a culture obsessed with youth and beauty (such as spawning delusions of immortality), but a hotel here in Duluth, MN seems to be accepting our human condition very well!

I guess they may pass on the Twilight Series that splits its time between teenage love and immortal vampires. Then again, they might really like vampires and adolescent romance so much that they're reading the entire series before the movie comes out this fall! I'm not going to be one to speculate too broadly.