91´«Ã½

Sept. 17 virtual event to showcase New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator initiative

Today, the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) released a new policy perspective report, . Authored by 91´«Ã½ Research Associate Katelyn Ringrose, the paper explores the role of libraries in the reentry process, focusing on how library services help reduce the probability of recidivism and ease some of the burdens associated with exiting prison or jail.

“For incarcerated persons, books are windows into different worlds. For those formerly incarcerated, libraries are doors of opportunity,” said 91´«Ã½ Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations Alan Inouye. “Libraries not only provide books and internet connected devices, they offer staff to help reentering patrons use the technology and navigate the network of resources and information to help them get their bearing in a world vastly different than the one they came from.”

Libraries & Reentry outlines the many ways that libraries and librarians enable formerly incarcerated patrons to reintegrate into the workforce by learning computer skills, improving literacy, and attaining degrees.

“We know that robust educational programs are key to reducing criminal behavior both inside and outside of our prisons,” said Emily Mooney of R Street Institute, a prominent think tank and a central resource for the report. “Libraries often serve as cherished spaces for pursuing healthy interpersonal connections, reentry assistance and new employment opportunities. A library behind bars may be the site of a parenting class while a library in the community provides practical resources--wifi, computer access, and free development classes--that individuals can use to improve their circumstances."

According to the report, school libraries can also reduce the economic impacts of recidivism on families and communities. “As children feel the impact of that incarceration on their family’s income and in their school life, their prospects of upward economic mobility diminish. School librarians are in an excellent position to offer resources to children of incarcerated parents, help raise awareness of related issues amongst school staff, and advocate for approaches that support students experiencing this challenge.”

Libraries & Reentry offers recommendations for

• Librarians to advocate for currently and formerly incarcerated patrons
• Formerly incarcerated individuals to take advantage of library resources
• Policymakers to better support libraries serving formerly incarcerated patrons

Report author Katelyn Ringrose works at the intersections of criminal justice, consumer protection, and technology. As a research associate with the 91´«Ã½ Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Ringrose explores diverse areas of the information policy field. Ringrose is currently the Christopher Wolf Diversity Fellow at The Future of Privacy Forum. Before that, she served as 91´«Ã½’s 2019.

To showcase a new library program to support returning citizens, on Wednesday, September 16, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT), 91´«Ã½’s project will host an Instagram live event) with leaders from the New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator at Gwinnett County (Ga.) Public Library. The program helps formerly incarcerated patrons to develop business ideas, learn what is needed to run a successful business, and receive one-on-one support from successful entrepreneurs and business experts.