[bdcravens]

I have sent friends who were incarcerated (Texas prison system) programming books; I haven't had the same experience. With most issues in the prison, there's a lot of subjective judgment, often by lower paid employees without much training or experience. Your best bet is to contact the prison's office and ask to discuss the issue with someone at the major or warden level.

[PostOnce]

That sounds like a good avenue, promote it as learning a skill to get a job and re-integrate. Maybe also explain that it takes a fair bit of effort and study to master so it would focus the prisoner's time on something productive.