Reading Can Reduce Recidivism

I was appalled to read that prisons are still banning some books for incarcerated citizens. Courts have said that prisons can censure items that are deemed to be a serious threat to security.

I’ve got news for you: most folks reading books aren’t security or disciplinary risks, in fact, reading can reduce recidivism! I can personally tell you from my time inside Leavenworth FPC that reading can reduce security and disciplinary risks. We should be encouraging and facilitating reading MORE books, rather than blocking an important tool that can be used to improve lives, prepare for release, and even deal with the challenges and stress of prison life.

My book, Illegal to Legal: Business Success for the (Formerly) Incarcerated and my courses on the Edovo, GTL, and Paytel Tablet systems cause me to get letters from incarcerated citizens weekly. People’s lives are being touched and they’re given hope because they can read the steps to build a new future. I believe so much in getting books inside jails and prisons that I provide my book at cost to any prisoner program or non-profit serving the incarcerated or formerly incarcerated that requests it because I know that reading can reduce recidivism.

To cut the cycle of recidivism, shouldn’t we be helping people to come out of prison better than when they came in?  How can you reduce recidivism without access to books in jails and prisons?