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The prison library at the Münster Correctional Facility was named "Library of the Year 2007" by the German Library Association. An examination of this specific library in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) provides insight into the operation and services of prison libraries in Germany. This article will hopefully inspire readers to get involved in library work with a social focus and bring attention to the new advocacy organization Prison Library Support Group (Förderverein Gefangenenbüchereien e.V.). Besides opening the door to a world normally closed to the public, this article seeks to sensitize the reader to the microcosm of human experience that exists behind prison walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the rehabilitation programs of the Polish Prison Service, which incorporate various types of cultural, educational, and library activities. The main focus is on the author's analysis of rehabilitation programs in existence between 1981 and the present. The changes in the laws that govern these activities are described, as well as how the organization of the Polish prison system and the current sentence structure determine how rehabilitation programs are provided in the correctional institutions. The goals and objectives of prison libraries are explored, as they relate to the rehabilitation process and activities. The library collections and access to library materials are discussed, as well as library premises and library staffing. The author's research data form the basis for the analysis of prison library development over the last thirty years. The article also discusses various innovative rehabilitation programs that have been implemented under the theme of "education through culture and art." These include, among others, cultural and educational programs to help substance abusers overcome their addition and readjust to society, assertiveness training, and participation in cultural activities. These programs are also designed to enhance the offenders' literacy skills and to encourage their creativity and potential talent in music and fine arts. Finally, the article describes prison theater activities, literary clubs, and activities that promote reading (e.g., book exhibits, author talks, and the reading of books over the prison broadcasting system). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the defining characteristics of the organizational model for the provision of library services in Spanish prisons. The author provides data about the correctional facilities and the offender population and focuses on several issues that impact on the organization and operation of prison libraries. The article concludes with a reflection on the limitations of the current library service model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the present state of access to books and other reading materials for inmates in Japan's correctional facilities. While no professionally managed libraries are provided at these facilities- which explains why the term Prison Libraries in the title of this article is placed in quotation marks-incarcerated persons have the opportunity to obtain personal books, magazines, and newspapers through purchase or gifts. The prison administration also provides a certain number of reading materials at various locations within the institution. These materials, however, are inadequate and do not meet the needs of the offenders. The author discusses the legal framework that specifies the right of prisoners to read and obtain information, as well as the limits imposed on this access. The article contains information obtained by the author from a recent survey of seven correctional facilities. The author includes recommendations made by various advocacy groups, including the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, for improvement of the "prison library" situation and concludes with several of his own proposals to establish professionally operated prison libraries, to develop better collections, and to enhance cooperation between correctional facilities and public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries have existed in French prisons since the mid-nineteenth century, and for more than a century the French Penitentiary Administration has made an effort to structure and organize them as well as to monitor what books are made available to inmates. The role and impact of these libraries has evolved slowly over time, and over the years central control was gradually relaxed. In the early 1980s, cooperative efforts between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Justice opened the door for new political direction that facilitated the opening of correctional facilities to the eyes of the outside world and encouraged representatives of cultural organizations to become involved with the prison population behind the wall. Prison libraries subsequently underwent a profound transformation when public library professionals began to venture inside the prisons in order to reorganize the existing book storage areas (which had been inaccessible to inmates) into proper libraries, like those they managed in the outside world. An examination of the situation in the Rhone-Alps region of France serves as a useful starting point for an examination of the development of prison libraries over the past twenty years, as well as a discussion of the difficulties encountered and the prospects for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last three decades have seen many developments in Canadian prison libraries. This article follows the history of the libraries in federal Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) from the 1980s to the present, concentrating on the libraries in the Pacific Region. A chronological overview of the major legislative changes, reports, and events of the last thirty years highlights the increased profile of prison libraries and their role in supporting Correctional Service of Canada's Mission and Goals. Some of these changes include the adoption in 1992 of the Corrections and Condition Release Act (CCRA) and Regulations, modifications to Commissioner's Directive 720 (2007a; under which libraries fall), and the adoption in the Pacific Region of Library Policy Guidelines. In addition to legislative and policy changes, Canadian society itself has also changed during this thirty-year period. As the face of Canada has become more diverse in age and ethnicity, as well as in social and technological expectations, so has the face of the prison population. These changes have, of course, also impacted on prison libraries. This article examines how prison libraries have met the challenges created by these societal and technological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with prison library services in Italy, highlighting national and regional developments over the last twenty-five to thirty years. The article is divided into six parts: (1) a brief history of Italian prison libraries; (2) the structure and organization of the first institutional libraries (in Turin, Rome, Padua, Ravenna, Milan, Treviso, and Sardinia); (3) considerations by the prison administration and support from the Italian Justice Ministry; (4) the role of the university (the Association of Prison Libraries [ABC] and the new Italian Library Association [AIB] special interest group on people with special needs); (5) newer prison libraries and future projects; and (6) some user data and final conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]