On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons rolled back a policy deemed by many to be “a discriminatory and destructive attack on access to literature and other reading and educational materials for thousands of people in prison,” that effectively shuts inmates “off from works that can reduce recidivism and better connect them to the outside world,” according to Summer Lopez, Senior Director of Free Expression Programs for PEN America.
The controversial policy banned federal inmates from receiving books from bookstores (including online sellers), publishers, and book clubs, as well as family and friends. The policy, in place at several federal prisons, including in California, restricted inmates and their loved ones’ ability to purchase books to a limited number of books available through the Bureau of Prisons’ specific vendor at a markup of 30 percent over retail, plus shipping.
Prior to the restrictions, inmates could purchase books through bookstores, publishers, and book clubs to be shipped to prison, as long as the books were not “deemed to pose a threat or detriment to the security, good order or discipline of the institution or to encourage or instruct in criminal activity.”
[For more on this story by Taylor Walker, go to http://witnessla.com/federal-b...letters-for-inmates/]
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