Seattle Times Editorial: “Incarcerated Kids Need Libraries, Too”
From The Seattle Times:
People love redemption stories. But they often show less enthusiasm for the policies that support those turnarounds, particularly if aimed at anyone in the criminal legal system.
That’s a missed opportunity when the financial investment is minimal, and its benefits potentially profound. For example: prison libraries, one of the least expensive avenues for making an impact that can extend well beyond the walls of a locked cell.
It’s heartening to see that state legislators and officials understand this. Last year, Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge, secured more than $1 million for nine state prison libraries. Meanwhile, the Department of Children, Youth and Families has joined the Washington State Library in a pilot program to boost access to books for 75 young people sentenced to serve time at the Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie.
Read the Complete Editorial (351 words)
See Also: Washington: “First State Library For Incarcerated Youth to Open in January” (December 11, 2022)
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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