Prison Literature Can Help Some Inmates

By Michael Obrien


There has been much said about prison literature over the years. There are also many people who are both proponents and opponents to it. It can sometimes be surprising to others that no matter what a person has done or who they are that another person would be objected to them reading or trying to better themselves.

People who commit crimes deserve to be punished. People who commit truly vicious crimes deserve to be put in jail and kept away from the rest of society, sure. The problem is that sadly our justice system is not the most perfect system in the world and occasionally people who do not deserve it get sent to prison. When this happens it can sometimes take an army to get them released.

One of the most controversial subjects that is up for debate is the reading of legal material. There are some, mainly the victims or relatives of victims of some of the inmates that feel they should not be allowed to read up or research and learn about the laws that they broke. The main reason for this is because they feel they will try and use it to their advantage.

For some that is just fine. Some of the inmates have been locked up for so long they just want to read anything. Then again there are those who need specific types of books so that they can learn to read. It is sad to think that there is so much of a literacy issue in our jails, but there is. Another problem is that people who might otherwise have the chance to donate just do not want to.

There are a lot of people who have very strong feelings about the prison system and do not want to help anybody who is there learn to do anything. They figure that if they did not take advantage of the schooling they were given on the outside why should we pity them now and teach them to read. A lot of people agree with that statement.

So much so that they can influence others not to give to their book dilemma. When it comes down to it it sometimes takes the municipality that the jail resides in to take the initiative. In the cases that saw large donations or any donations of significance come into the jail systems they were all started by the government officials locally.

When murderer on death row is allowed to read legal books that detail court cases, there is a certain feeling amongst some people that they can use that information to delay their punishment. The truth is that nothing can delay such a punishment when they are just waiting to die and no amount of reading can help.

Another problem with prison literature is that when they get donations there is no way to ask for specific materials. They are just happy to get what they get. Most times they are in need of text books for the school programs or books to help inmates learn to read. It is also hard because more people feel they do not deserve this then there are who want to help.




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