1 / 17

PRISON LIBRARIES IN KINGSTON

PRISON LIBRARIES IN KINGSTON. A CONFLICT OF INSTITUTIONS. 7 Correctional Libraries in the Kingston area + 4 other Correctional Libraries in Ontario + Provincial System. The Librarians…. Teacher-Librarians - 4 CBI/BI/KP/RTC/WI Library Technicians -1 JI/PI Contract Librarians- 1 GVI

cherokee-merritt
Download Presentation

PRISON LIBRARIES IN KINGSTON

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. PRISON LIBRARIES IN KINGSTON A CONFLICT OF INSTITUTIONS

  2. 7 Correctional Libraries in the Kingston area • + • 4 other Correctional Libraries in Ontario • + • Provincial System

  3. The Librarians…. • Teacher-Librarians - 4 CBI/BI/KP/RTC/WI • Library Technicians -1 JI/PI • Contract Librarians- 1 GVI • Contract with City Library- FMI/BC • No Librarian- FI • National- MLS or MLIS -3

  4. CSC’S POLICY Libraries are information centres that support all institutional programs and address offenders' needs for recreational, cultural, spiritual, educational and informative materials.

  5. MORE POLICY… • The Institutional Head will ensure that the library provides services and computerized resources which are comparable to those in the community libraries, while taking into consideration both the needs of the correctional environment and the limitations of the physical space available.

  6. AND…. • The Institutional Head should also ensure that the library has sufficient books and material to meet the basic needs of minority official language inmates. Inter-library loans with community libraries should be encouraged where possible.

  7. OF COURSE…. • In addition, libraries will provide the opportunity to educate offenders in the full use of library resources.

  8. LEGAL POLICY • The institutional librarian will ensure that the institution's library has available historical and current copies of legal, regulatory and official reference materials • (13 VARIOUS ACTS IN BOTH OFFICIAL LANGUAGES)

  9. WHAT WE REALLY DO.. • Offenders use the Library up to 10 times as much as a person in the community • One stop shopping • Inmate supervision and • Prison committees –sensitive material • Everything connected with the Library

  10. THE ISSUES… • Conflict between institutions- • Libraries are about order, organization, peace and quiet, free access to information • Penitentiaries are about chaos, tight security and control, noise and violence • Working in isolation • Low profile-part of the whole

  11. YOUR READERS… • High level of illiteracy – 90% < grade 12 • High rate of mental illness and emotional instability • 99% male • Many, many, many different cultures • Different social, racial and cultural backgrounds

  12. A GREAT PRISON LIBRARIAN MUST HAVE: • Strong sense of values and goals: Never be drawn into the subculture • Flexibility: (lockdowns, emotional outbursts, sudden transfers, unexpected budget cuts) • Patience: inmates are needy, demanding, impatient, volatile, dirty

  13. AND…. • Emotional Stability: Leave work behind at the end of the day- be objective • High tolerance for stress • Sense of humor: Relieves stress defuses tense situations

  14. MORE QUALITIES: • A genuine desire to help • Credibility: If the Librarian doesn’t have it, no inmate will respect her or the library. • Fairness and tolerance: keep personal bias aside when selecting material and responding to requests • Ability to follow policy and procedures: Same treatment regardless of crime

  15. THE MOST IMPORTANT.. • Communication skills: Includes listening, non-verbal cues (You may be interacting with a sociopath/behavior disorder • Problem solving skills: includes common sense and rational thinking • Teaching skills: Inmate library workers • Expertise in marketing and public relations • Awareness of security issues

  16. THE REWARDS… • Huge impact on people using the library for the first time • Something positive in a negative atmosphere • Independence • Credibility in the workplace • Impact on dysfunctional people- “swearing” respect for books and reading

  17. ICING ON THE CAKE! • SELF CONFIDENCE • SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT • RECOGNITION

More Related