[Shivetya]

The one issue brought up which I think it a legitimate concern is, how do you insure the book is not used for improper purposes. Those would be but not limited to, concealment of prohibited objects, drugs, and messages?

You can screen for some, but I would expect all parcels to have some limited form of search. I would tend to think a better option would be to fix the availability of library services to prisoners, perhaps even only allowing access to the delivered books in a library setting; books are kept by the system in the library for the prisoners.

I understand that idea that reading is fundamental, but controlling what is in their environment is a big part of maintaining a safe and secure environment.

[bainsfather]

In the uk, prisoners get sent other parcels, they of course are screened. No real reason for not allowing books. This ban was just the prisons minister playing to the tabloid press.

"a better option would be to fix the availability of library services to prisoners" - alas, this is not even a bad joke. In e.g. high security prisons, you might get to visit the library once every 4 weeks. If (or these days, more often than not when) there are staff shortages, supervision of prisoners' library visits is among the first things cut - in which case, you might get to visit again in 4 weeks time, maybe.

Source: 2nd hand info from talking to someone who works in a prison.

[kahirsch]

The first sentence of the article is "Under the current rules prisoners are prevented from receiving parcels unless they have 'exceptional circumstances', such as a medical condition."

[bainsfather]

Yes, I saw that, and I thought it was incorrect. After some digging:

This does not apply to remand prisoners.

Convicted prisoners get 1 parcel of clothing after conviction (at the governer's discretion).

Also exceptional circumstances "could include for example ... replace clothing due to restricted access to laundry facilities."

Source: Prison Service Instructions 30-2013 Section 10.4, 10.5 and also annex F.

[cmdkeen]

And the article talked about upping the number of books a prisoner can keep in their cell, which seems a better solution for all prisoners than the few who have people who will send them books.

I wonder how many prisoners are being sent the poet laureates work anyway?

A far better solution is to fix prison libraries, perhaps if all the heat being generated by literary types was directed at that, rather than "OMG they banned books" types protests, we might be able to get more books.

For instance there are literary trusts that donate sacks of books to all children at various points in their life in parts of the UK. Why not set up a prison literary trust that donates books to all prisoners? Get it signed off by the state as an "approved source" and a real change occurs. But then protesters wouldn't get to protest.

[ceejayoz]

Nothing I'm reading here says they've been banned from inspecting the books. No reason they can't be scanned, shaken out, and flipped through.

[kahirsch]

In the United States, most prisons will accept books only when they are shipped directly from the publisher.

[lotsofmangos]

Fixing library services to all prisoners is going to be a lot more expensive and take a lot longer than shoving all book deliveries through an xray machine.