Books Behind Bars: Why Arkansas Must Reconsider the Ban on Reading Materials
The Arkansas Right to Read Project was founded on a simple belief that is enshrined in the Arkansas Constitution: the free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man. That belief does not end at the prison gate. The Arkansas Department of Corrections’ recent decision to ban or severely restrict reading materials for incarcerated people ignores that constitutional right and moves our state in the wrong direction. This policy is out of step with Arkansas values, best practices, and scientific evidence. Arkansas Right to Read joins with DecARcerate, an Arkansas nonprofit working with formerly incarcerated people on education, legislation, and community organizing initiatives, in opposing this decision.
Sign the DecARcerate petition today urging the Board of Corrections to reconsider.
Decades of research show that access to books and educational materials greatly reduces recidivism. People who read while incarcerated are more likely to pursue education, develop job skills, are less likely to reoffend, and have a higher rate of success reintegrating into their communities once released. Literacy rates are one of the leading indicators of success both behind bars and on the outside. The higher your literacy rate, the less likely you are to be incarcerated. When we deny books to prisoners, especially those donated directly to inmates, we are cutting off one of the cheapest and most effective tools for rehabilitation.
Incarceration is the loss of physical freedom, but not the loss of the mind. Many incarcerated Arkansans rely on donated books as their primary access to education, especially in facilities with limited libraries or programming. For individuals serving long sentences, reading is often the only consistent means of self-improvement available. However, reading opportunities are severely limited under these new restrictions. While the Department of Corrections states that prisoners have access to “50,000 books” on approved tablets, documents released under a FOIA request by the Arkansas Library Association show that number to be closer to 2,000. When asked for a statement, Arkansas Library Association President Adam Webb said “We are currently analyzing the list of titles provided to us by DoC. One of the key tenets of librarianship is ‘every reader their book’ and when 70% of incarcerated adults can’t read above a 4th grade reading level, you have to focus collections not only on what they will read but what they can read.” Many of the works in the Endovo Core collection are works published over 100 years ago and no longer in copyright, while others are college level textbooks published under a Creative Commons license. “I hope the DoC is not paying for this content, because none of it appears to have an enforceable copyright.” said Webb “So far, I have been able to download every work on the list for free off the internet either through Project Gutenberg or other sources.”
Most incarcerated people in Arkansas will one day return home. The question is not if they will reenter society, but how. Will they return better equipped to contribute positively or more disconnected, less educated, and more likely to reoffend? Denying access to reading materials, especially donated ones that incur only the low, low cost of screening for contraband, increases the likelihood of . A policy that weakens rehabilitation ultimately harms families, communities, and taxpayers.
The Arkansas Right to Read Project urges the Department of Corrections to reverse this ban and work with educators, librarians at the Arkansas State Library and in local communities, and community organizations to ensure safe, reasonable access to books and learning materials for incarcerated individuals. We also call on lawmakers and the public to speak out. Arkansans have never shied away from hard work. Let us come up with a better solution that addresses the problems that the Department of Corrections is trying to fix while ensuring that inmates continue to be provided with every resource possible to better themselves.
CLICK HERE to join us in signing a petition created by DecARcerate urging the Board of Corrections to reconsider this unjustified suppression of education, healing, and access to information for incarcerated people.