A Snapshot of State Prison Libraries with a Focus on Technology

Abstract Current trends in prison libraries were explored, particularly in regards to technology. Adult state prisons were surveyed by mail nationwide. The 207 prisons in the sample were representative of the national population in terms of size, security level and sex distribution. Almost 97% had libraries offering a wide variety of print and electronic resources. Staffing, size and budgets varied widely. Almost half provided computers, but training was sporadic. Access to word processing, CDs and library catalogs were common. Only one librarian allowed access to the Internet with personal monitoring. All others found security risks too great.