The Prison Libraries Act
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
“When the prison gates slam behind an inmate, he does not lose his human quality; his mind does not become closed to ideas; his intellect does not cease to feed on a free and open interchange of opinions; his yearning for self-respect does not end; nor is his quest for self-realization concluded. If anything, the needs for identity and self-respect are more compelling in the dehumanizing prison environment.” - Thurgood Marshall, Procunier v Martinez, 416 US 428 (1974).
The Prison Libraries Act of 2026, HR 7247, was introduced in January by Missouri state representative Emanual Cleaver II “for the purpose of providing library services to incarcerated individuals in order to advance reintegration efforts, reduce recidivism, and increase educational opportunities”. The Prison Libraries Act will provide $10,000,000 in available grant funding each fiscal year 2026 through 2031 in any U.S. state or territory where an eligible application is filed.
An eligible application must include a comprehensive plan for the use of funds, proof of a library or intention to build one in the facility, and demographic information about the population of the facility, which is used to judge the need for funding. Funding may be applied to a variety of services that promote literacy for incarcerated people, and it is not permitted for grantees to charge fees to incarcerated people for any services provided under the grant. Priority will be given to applicants focused on post-secondary education, with concrete plans for tangible change and growth, and those who plan to provide the broadest services to the incarcerated population. View the link below to review all application requirements and grant restrictions.
This measure is particularly salient as literary censorship rises across the country, especially behind the closed doors of a prison. Many prison facilities provide only small libraries to incarcerated people, if any at all, and access to available resources is often treated as a privilege to be stripped as guards and prison staff see fit. Incarcerated populations placed under lockdown, even nondisciplinary lockdown, lose access to books and library resources. Between 2016 and 2023, 33 state prison systems in the U.S. employed nondisciplinary lockdowns at least once–meaning incarcerated people are kept in their cells around the clock for an undefined period without access to visitation, education, literature, or other resources.
States across the United States also employ varying policies restricting book vendors and types. Many states do not allow hardcover or used books to enter the prison, and others only allow books sent from approved vendors, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. A 2023 study found that 84% of prison mailrooms surveyed implemented restrictive book bans, even when it was not statewide policy. This is particularly disturbing considering the American prison population has the lowest literacy rate of any demographic group in the country. The restriction and inconsistency of literary and educational material have a detrimental effect on incarcerated people, and by extension, all of our communities.
Prison Library Act:
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Authored by Sophie Belz
