How Inmate's Can Benefit From Reading Books

To any person, books are very important. Books are the fundamental of basic education. Aside from that, books can teach us life lessons. These books have different topics and tackle different issues. Books have been with us since ancient times. The most famous are the books of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. They were in the form of scrolls but there were a few that were in the form of bonded documents. These collections, though, are considered extinct. Through the years, still, they have proven to be very influential in the modern way of learning or education.

As a result of the presence of books through the different ages, experts have been confirming all the claimed benefits of reading them. These are in general terms and do not take into consideration differences in age, sex, and race. These benefits have been considered thoroughly. This is why even schools today prefer to let students use books than the Internet because of credibility issues. The Internet may have all information that can be obtained more conveniently.

Those found online may not always be verified to be authentic and true but with books, the information are always true because before these materials get published, books undergo as series of review. So when they get published, they are already error free and free from erroneous information.

Those who have the habit of reading books regularly know that as they read, their skills are sharpened and their vocabulary is enriched. With books, people can understand cultural diversity without traveling. Books also keep us informed with all the things that are going on around us.

They help one understand the past so they may also understand the present and the future. Books also make people more educated and they introduce many ideas to readers to readers so they can become better conversationalists. And, of course, books are a convenient way of learning all these things.

One can still find a lot of different advantages from reading books. The list goes on. Books never go out of fashion and they can never be replaced with any other media. Parents should recommend reading to their children because this is a very good and worthwhile hobby. Those who began reading books at a young age have a higher sense of appreciation for books. As they become adults, the lessons they learned from the books they read remained and they were able to apply them in their lives. For those who want to start reading, you still have a lot of catching up to do but it’s never too late. Books can teach us a lot of lessons and can give us so much knowledge. The applications of these things is up to us.

When you join book clubs, you can choose from a wider selection of books and enjoy great discounts. SureShot Books, book club for inmate parent's and their children are an examples of the best online book clubs you can find. Aside from that, being part of this type of group allows you to have a venue for expressing yourself to your parent inmate or children readers. Indeed, not only a love for books may be developed but also a great relationship.

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Today's Readers are Tomorrow's Leaders

Books are the golden key that unlocks the wisdom of the ages, sages, and mages. Or, in more down-to-earth language, "You're the same today as you'll be in five years except for the people you meet and the books you read."

During our time off, there are many ways we can spend time, such as by taking a walk, playing chess, or painting, but "Of all the diversions of life, there is none so proper to fill up its empty spaces as the reading of useful and entertaining authors.

When one recognizes the value of books, it is easy to understand why we would be horrified by the many book burnings that were carried out throughout history. Just to give three examples, in 213 B.C. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the burning of philosophy and history books; in roughly 640, the infamous destruction of the Library of Alexandria took place. And more recently, in 1992, the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina was firebombed and destroyed by Serbian nationalists. More than 1.5 million books, including 4,000 rare books, 478 bound manuscripts, and 100 years of Bosnian newspapers and journals were lost.

Yet, perhaps the greatest crime of all is to have free access to all the world's great books and not read them, which is what is going on in the United States. Here are some of the abhorrent statistics:

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
57 percent of new books are not read to completion.
(Source: Jerold Jenkins, www.JenkinsGroupInc.com)


Although the above statistics are somewhat dated, according to its annual survey of American reading habits, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that 54.3 percent of American adults read a book for pleasure in 2008, down from 56.6 percent in 2002, so the trend is unfavorable. In fact, so few people are reading books that you can become an expert merely by reading five books on the same subject. Would you like to be in the top 25% of the world's intellectuals? If so, all you have to do is read one book a month every year. How difficult is that? Well, if you read 15 minutes a day, every day for a year, you will have completed, depending on their size, 12~20 books.

Yes, the United States does publish more than 170,000 new titles a year, but 95% of the books are purchased by only 5% of the people. Moreover, despite having a population 5X greater than the U.K., there are 20% more titles published each year in England than in the U.S. Also, new titles in the U.K. rose by 28 per cent in 2005~6, while they fell by 18 per cent in the U.S.

THE VALUE OF BOOKS
1. Books are patient teachers, willingly sharing the wisdom of our contemporaries and forefathers. "Books are masters who instruct us without rods or ferules (sticks, canes or paddles used to punish children) without words (criticism) or anger, without bread or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep; if you seek them, they do not hide; if you blunder, they do not scold; if you are ignorant, they do not laugh at you."


2. Our future depends on what we read after graduating from school. Real learning starts after graduation and is found in the books we read.

3. Imagine meeting Albert Einstein, Marcus Aurelius, or Buddha. We can meet them all and countless others. Philosophers, spiritual teachers, scientists, poets, and every type of historical figure invite us to join them in the world of books. "Books are the true levelers. They give to all, who faithfully use them, the society, the spiritual presence, and the best and greatest of our race." (William Ellery Channing, 1780~1842)

4. A good book teaches us about every aspect of life, the strengths and foibles, the rise and fall of humanity. It introduces us to beauty, truth, and wisdom. Good books are manuals that guide us to the path of success and happiness.

5. Books teach us by example how to powerfully express ourselves through language.

6. Reading destroys loneliness, for when we are surrounded by books, we will always have friends to delight, comfort, guide, instruct, and inspire us.

7. Books are the gateway to the greatest adventure of all: self- discovery. "Every reader finds himself. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself." (Marcel Proust, 1871~1922)

8. Because of the knowledge books grant their readers, and because of the small number of book lovers, today's readers will become tomorrow's leaders.

9. When circumstances prevent you from traveling, books will whisk you off to a far-off land, yet undreamt of paradise, or a Shangri-La of unimaginable beauty.

10. The world of books will provide you with a sanctuary where you can escape from the chaos, confusion, and clamor of everyday life.

11. Books broaden your perspective by providing a sweeping vista of the entirety of human experience. "To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries." (Professor Anthony Clifford Grayling, Birkbeck, University of London)

12. "Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own." (Charles Scribner, Jr., 1921~1995)

13. Would that we all would appreciate books to the extent that Desiderius Erasmus (c.1466~1536) did, for he wrote, "When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes."

14. According to a 2009 Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, reading could decrease the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is associated with Alzheimer's disease.

15. Bibliotherapy is a modern form of treatment utilized to treat non-emergency mental illness. In the United Kingdom, bibliotherapy is a suggested treatment practiced by many therapists to treat patients with depression and other mood disorders. This unique therapy works by getting the patient to read prescribed self-help books that address their illness.

Prisoners' Right to Read

An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association asserts a compelling public interest in the preservation of intellectual freedom for individuals of any age held in jails, prisons, detention facilities, juvenile

facilities, immigration facilities, prison work camps and segregated units within any facility. As Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote in Procunier v Martinez [416 US 428 (1974)]:

When the prison gates slam behind an inmate, he does not lose his human quality; his mind does not become closed to ideas; his intellect does not cease to feed on a free and open interchange of opinions; his yearning for self-respect does not end; nor is his quest for self-realization concluded. If anything, the needs for identity and self-respect are more compelling in the dehumanizing prison environment.

Participation in a democratic society requires unfettered access to current social, political, economic, cultural, scientific, and religious information. Information and ideas available outside the prison are essential to prisoners for a successful transition to freedom. Learning to be free requires access to a wide range of knowledge, and suppression of ideas does not prepare the incarcerated of any age for life in a free society. Even those individuals that a lawful society chooses to imprison permanently deserve access to information, to literature, and to a window on the world. Censorship is a process of exclusion by which authority rejects specific points of view. That material contains unpopular views or even repugnant content does not provide justification for censorship. Unlike censorship, selection is a process of inclusion that involves the search for materials, regardless of format, that represent diversity and a broad spectrum of ideas. The correctional library collection should reflect the needs of its community.

Libraries and librarians serving individuals in correctional facilities may be required by federal, state, or local laws; administrative rules of parent agencies; or court decisions to prohibit material that instructs, incites, or advocates criminal action or bodily harm or is a violation of the law. Only those items that present an actual compelling and imminent risk to safety and security should be restricted. Although these limits restrict the range of material available, the extent of limitation should be minimized by adherence to the Library Bill of Rights and its Interpretations.

These principles should guide all library services provided to prisoners:

* Collection management should be governed by written policy, mutually agreed upon by librarians and correctional agency administrators, in accordance with the Library Bill of Rights, its Interpretations, and other ALA intellectual freedom documents.

* Correctional libraries should have written procedures for addressing challenges to library materials, including a policy-based description of the disqualifying features, in accordance with “Challenged Materials” and other relevant intellectual freedom documents.

* Correctional librarians should select materials that reflect the demographic composition, information needs, interests, and diverse cultural values of the confined communities they serve.

* Correctional librarians should be allowed to purchase materials that meet written selection criteria and provide for the multi-faceted needs of their populations without prior correctional agency review. They should be allowed to acquire materials from a wide range of sources in order to ensure a broad and diverse collection. Correctional librarians should not be limited to purchasing from a list of approved materials.

* Age is not a reason for censorship. Incarcerated children and youth should have access to a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, as stated in “Free Access to Libraries for Minors."

* Correctional librarians should make all reasonable efforts to provide sufficient materials to meet the information and recreational needs of prisoners who speak languages other than English.

* Equitable access to information should be provided for persons with disabilities as outlined in “Services to People with Disabilities.”

* Media or materials with non-traditional bindings should not be prohibited unless they present an actual compelling and imminent risk to safety and security.

* Material with sexual content should not be banned unless it violates state and federal law.

* Correctional libraries should provide access to computers and the Internet.

When free people, through judicial procedure, segregate some of their own, they incur the responsibility to provide humane treatment and essential rights. Among these is the right to read. The right to choose what to read is deeply important, and the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. The denial of the right to read, to write, and to think—to intellectual freedom—diminishes the human spirit of those segregated from society. Those who cherish their full freedom and rights should work to guarantee that the right to intellectual freedom is extended to all incarcerated individuals.

Adopted June 29, 2010, by the ALA Council.

Books a prescription for success

Doctors and nurses from Opelika’s Pediatric Clinic are sending families home from well-child visits with free books as part of the Reach Out and Read program.

The goal of the program is to prepare children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers was at the clinic to help kick things off, reading Robie H. Harris’ “Maybe A Bear Ate It” to some of the clinic’s patients Tuesday.

The book is about the creative possibilities a child comes up with when a favorite book is misplaced.

“When a family visits the clinic for a well-child visit, the patient get lots of messages from the pediatrician about topics like safety and proper nutrition,” said Polly McClure, ROR statewide coordinator. “This program allows the pediatrician to give a book to the patient while at the same time, they’re also talking to the parents or caregivers about the importance of reading aloud to their child and its benefits in preparing them for success in school.”


ROR officials estimate 35 percent of American children entering kindergarten lack the basic language skills they need to read.

Through the ROR program, doctors and nurses at the clinic give a new book to children from six months to 5 years, so by the time the child is ready to start school, they have received 10 new books from their pediatrician.


“Getting these books is instrumental for many families,” McClure said. “If you ask someone to do something but don’t give them the tools to do it, then in many cases, they’re not going to go out and buy a book.“

After reading to patients Tuesday, Rogers toured the clinic.

“This is a great way to remind children and families that reading can be fun,” Rogers said. “I have small children and have great appreciation for the importance of this program.”

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Prison program unites inmates, children

They were unlikely dance partners in an unlikely dance hall: a 29-year-old murderer and a 10-year-old boy doing an impromptu tango as Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father" sounded from a boom box in a prison gym.

It was one of the lighter moments at the emotional end of a weeklong summer camp where inmate dads and their children reconnected after years apart. Seven fathers -- all in prison-issued jeans and blue, short-sleeved shirts -- swayed to the song with their children, some openly crying.

The Hope House Father to Child Summer Camp Behind Bars recently held at the prison offered them a hint of what life together could have been like.

Federal and state prisons in Ohio, North Carolina and Maryland have hosted this summer camp for 10 years, but the program at the North Branch Correctional Institution in July was the first in a maximum-security facility.

It's a reward program for inmates — many of whom will spend the majority of their lives in jail. More importantly, it's a program for the children, organizers said.

“Every child needs to know the love of their parents,” said Hope House Director Carol Fennelly. “In a true and perfect world, fathers would be mentors to their own children — that's what we try to create. It's a safe place where these kids can love their fathers without feeling ashamed.”
Hope House, a Washington-based nonprofit group, organizes these camps and other programs to strengthen the bond between children and their imprisoned fathers.

Throughout the year, they facilitate face-to-face video calls between the fathers and their families hours apart from each other. They also record inmates reading books aloud and then mail those audio tapes to the kids. Another program called Girl Scouts Beyond Bars offers similar opportunities for daughters to communicate with their imprisoned mothers.

Spending a few hours each morning inside the prison gym with their children, the inmates at North Branch tried to make up time for missed birthday parties, summer trips not taken, their absence during pickup basketball games.

“This is will be the only reference point some of these guys will ever have to their kids,” said Geray Williams, 32, one of the seven dads chosen to attend the camp inside North Branch. “Just spending time with them is all that matters.”

In 2008 the Department of Justice estimated that more than half of all inmates were parents. That leaves 1.7 million children nationwide — about one in 50 U.S. residents under 18 — with a parent in jail.

The Justice Department and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency have concluded these children are more likely to land in prison than are their peers whose parents aren't incarcerated.

The Hope House camp is free for the participating families. At North Branch, the inmates and their kids spent several hours together each morning. They painted life-size murals depicting a perfect day outside prison. One family painted themselves skateboarding on a half-pipe; another rode atop an elephant in Africa.


The kids even got a taste, or a distaste, they said, for prison lunches — eating hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made by inmates working in the prison kitchen.





Every afternoon, when the fathers returned to their prison cells,
the children and Hope House counselors retreated to a local campground, where they built campfires, made s'mores and stargazed at night. Many of the children said they preferred the mornings in prison, though, because they got to spend them with their dads.

There are benefits for the criminal justice system, too.

“I've seen hardened criminals transformed in front of the children,” said Frank Bishop, chief of security at North Branch.

The Hope House camp offered a chance for them to reconnect with their children, but it was also a break from the monotony of a life behind bars. Inmate Williams had not tasted greasy delivery pizza in 10 years before Hope House ordered it for the special lunch on the last day of camp. He smiled, sandwiched between his children, Summer Harris, 13, and Sanchez Harris, 12. It felt like heaven, he said, though it wasn't clear whether he meant the pizza or being with his kids for the first time in six years.

Thirty of North Branch's 1,470 inmates applied for the five-day program. Some applicants didn't satisfy all criteria to attend; others had children who were unwilling to participate.

Sanchez and Summer traveled more than four hours from Lynchburg, Va., to attend the camp with their father, who is serving time for armed robbery and first-degree assault and expects to be released next year. Sanchez acknowledged in a journal entry that the first day of camp at the prison was scary, but he quickly warmed to his dad.

They sat together holding hands and hugging on the final day. In a closing recital, the children sang to the group, “It doesn't matter what you did. I only see you as my daddy.”

“My heart fluttered when I saw them,” Williams said, tears streaming down his cheeks during the song. “It was surreal.” Each child will be invited to participate in camp next summer as long as their fathers remain eligible.

In the meantime, they have returned home and the majority will not see their dads for a year.

How to Get Kids Excited About Reading

If your child would rather pick up a video game controller than pick up a book, show your child how much fun reading can be. It's understandable that your child would find an action-packed television show more exciting than a book which just sits there. Although your child may read at school, make reading a part of your child's routine at home, too. This way, your child may see reading as not just a necessary part of his or her education, but as a fun source of entertainment, too.

Step 1

Let your child see you reading at home. Although you may be more likely to turn on the TV, pick up a book while you're relaxing. Your child will see you enjoying a book and want to get in on the fun, according to "Getting Children to Read" on Oprah.com.

Step 2

Keep a variety of books in your home for your child to choose from. Instead of forcing your child to read a certain book, invite him to read any book he chooses from his bookshelf. This way, your child will feel excited about reading the book that he picked, says Jessica Snyder in "Tips for Encouraging Kids to Read"


Step 3

Read aloud to your child every night before bed. Reading together will allow you and your child to spend quality time together while you unwind after a busy day. Reading together will give your child the opportunity to try out books that are slightly too difficult for her to read alone.

Step 4

Discuss books with your child after he has read them. Although your child may be reading, it does not necessarily mean that he is comprehending the book. Instead of tossing the book aside after reading it, ask your child his favorite parts of the book, his favorite characters and what he thought the book was about.

Step 5

Create a reading spot in your home. Design a comfy, quiet corner in your home that has a comfy chair and a bookshelf full of books for your child. Put up fun posters that will make your child want to hang out in her new reading space.

Jay-Z memoir coming in November

Rapper and business mogul Jay-Z is about to become an author. Publisher Spiegel & Grau will release "Decoded," a 336-page memoir, on Nov. 16.

Unlike traditional memoirs, Rolling Stone reports, Jay-Z's book will also include interviews with family and friends. The book was co-written by Dream Hampton, a former editor at the Source.

According to the report, much of the material for the book was compiled three years ago, but Jay-Z was reluctant to see its release. What's changed? Maybe Jay-Z figures that if Justin Bieber has a memoir, so can he.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Prison Inmate Programs

In the United States, even the incarcerated have opportunities to better their lives. While institutionalized, inmates are free to participate in a number of programs and services, ranging from recreational to religious. The goal of these programs is not merely to pass the time, but to help stimulate a positive change in the inmates.

Education

Different institutions offer different educational programs. Literacy classes, wellness education and parenting classes are just several types of courses that every institution endorses. Inmates who are unfamiliar with English may take classes that teach the language.

Institutions often include vocational and occupational training courses. The job training programs involve on-the-job learning experience. Through job training, inmates become better equipped with the skills they need to re-enter the workforce once their sentence has ended.

Library access is also available to inmates. The reading material is very LIMITED. www.sureshotbooks.com is one of the best book supply sources for inmate reading materials.They cover a vast varity of selections that interest most inmates. They ship to all prison's through-out the states.

Religion

In religious programs, inmates gather for regular congregations and ceremonies, headed by a spiritual leader. These programs encourage worship and scripture study while providing spiritual guidance.

Participating inmates can observe religious holy days and, in some cases, dress in the appropriate religious attire.

These programs aim to stimulate life-changing behavior and positive attitudes.

Health

Institutions offer physical and mental health programs for inmates.

Fitness centers are accessible for those who seek to gain or maintain good health. These centers include weight lifting equipment and treadmills. Classes on nutrition are also in place to educate anyone concerned about health.

In most cases, institutions encourage group sports for both health and social reasons.

Clinical staffs of specialists are capable of treating prisoners suffering from new injuries, as well as chronic health conditions like diabetes. Of course, physical problems are only the beginning of the possible health needs. Mental conditions, such as depression, are not rare among the incarcerated. Psychologists and psychiatrists are on hand to assist inmates through counseling and treatment. Their top priority is suicide prevention.

Substance Abuse Rehabilitation

Many inmates battle with drug and alcohol addiction. Institutions are aware of this fact and act appropriately to assist in rehabilitation. Educational courses on substance and drug abuse are available, as well as treatment opportunities. Institutions typically arrange support groups to comfort individuals and aid in recovery.

These substance abuse programs have a variety of benefits for participants, including improved health conditions, reduced misconduct and increased employment opportunities upon release.

Educational Programming in Corrections

Benefits of Educational Programming in Prison
* Increases employability
* Reduces return to prison
* Reduces problem behavior during prison



Entering offenders less well educated than general population. Forty percent of state prisoners, 27% of federal prisoners, and 47% of local jail inmates do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Only 18% of the general population who are 18 years of age or older did not receive a high school diploma or its equivalent. The graphs below show the level of education attained for the total population of state prisoners, federal prisoners, and jail inmates. Level of attainment defined by BJS as the last completed year of school.


Who is participating in Educational Programs?

Over 50% of state and federal prisoners partticipate in educational programs. Only about 14% of the total local jail population particpate in education programs. This lower number is due to the fact that jail inmates spend less time incarcerated than prison inmates based on the nautre of their sentence. Although majority of prisons and jails mandate that inmates entering without a High School diploma participate in GED classes, only 54% of them do. This primarily due to the fact that facicilties (both jail and prisons) do not offer enough GED prep courses to accommodate the large number of inmate needing to take them. Inmates are put on waiting lists and may miss their opportunity to attain their GED while incarcerated if released before an opening in a class becomes available. This is another reason why local jail inmates have lower particpation in educational courses. Their sentences are short and more variable, if transferred to another facility, making it more difficult to wait for a class to be available. The following graphs give information as to the percentages of inmates in state prisons, federal prisons, and local jails that particpate in educational programs. Please note that the percentages may not total 100% due rounding and percentages taking into account inmates participating in more than one type of education program.

Edcuation


Vocational Training courses are the most popular among state and prison inmates. Conversely, GED/High School courses are the most popular classes among jail inmates. This difference is due to the fact that jail inmates have more access to GED and High School classes because they are incarcerated for a shorter period of time than prison inmates. Vocational training courses are only provided by 7% of local jails compared to 56% of state prisons and 94% of federal prisons. GED and High school level courses are the classes most offered by all correctional institutions for reasons previously discussed.


Correctional Education Helps Reduce Recidivism


A longitudinal study of 3,170 inmates who were released three years prior to start of the study from Maryland, Ohio, and Minnesota were followed to understand factors that influence recidivism. Educational attainment while incarcerated was the study’s main variable. The study found that participation in correctional education courses had the greatest reduction in recidivism overall, up to 22%. The graph below illustrates the study’s main findings. Information is not provided for specific educational courses taken by inmates, just whether or not they completed at least one type of educational course while incarcerated.



Individuals who participated in education courses while incarcerated had the lowest percentages overall of rearrests, reconviction, and reincarcerations. Forty-eight percent of inmates who completed education courses while incarcerated were rearrested within three years of release, compared to 57% of inmates who did not complete education courses. Twenty-seven percent of inmates who completed education courses while incarcerated were reconvicted within three years of release, compared to 35% of inmates who did not take education courses. Finally, 21% of inmates who completed education courses while incarcerated were re-incarcerated after three years of release compared to 31% of inmates who did not take education courses.



Barriers to Correctional Education


Even though reduction in recidivism is evident, there has been an overall decrease in college equivalent courses offered in prisons due to budget cuts influenced by “Get Tough on Crime” initiatives. The Higher Education Act of 1988 restricts eligibility for federal funding for education from individuals with prior convictions for possession or sale of controlled substances. In 1994 the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was passed which among other things, prohibited inmates from receiving funding through the Federal Pell Grant Program. This ban included both inmates while incarcerated and after release. This ban was surprising due to the fact that only 1% of the total Pell Grant funds were reserved for inmate funding. In addition, no student from the general population was ever denied funding because an incarcerated individual received money instead.