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Library Outreach to the Adult Corrections Facility

Library Outreach to the Adult Corrections Facility. Daniel Marcou, Corrections librarian March 4, 2010. Adult Corrections Facility (ACF). Plymouth, MN Original Workhouse was built in 1884 Population (capacity) 395 Men 68 Women 125 Work Release - closed 190 Staff.

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Library Outreach to the Adult Corrections Facility

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  1. Library Outreach to the Adult Corrections Facility Daniel Marcou, Corrections librarian March 4, 2010

  2. Adult Corrections Facility (ACF) • Plymouth, MN • Original Workhouse was built in 1884 • Population (capacity) 395 Men 68 Women 125 Work Release - closed 190 Staff

  3. Overview of Library Service to the Adult Corrections Facility (ACF) • Library in each facility • Visit every Tuesday • Residents can request 4 items each week • 900 - 1000 requests each week

  4. Resident Comments About Library Service • “Thank you - We need you!” • “I hope the library remains. Truthfully it’s a main means of me getting through my time in this place. THANKX!” • “I think what you two do for ACF is awesome. You give hope to the inmates. I respect you two for that. So thank you very much for everything. Keep up the good work.” • “Thank you for your concern.” • “Thank you for making our lives a little less miserable and helping us to escape reality for short periods of time. Life would really suck without the library.”

  5. Overview of Library Programs at the Adult Corrections Facility • Literacy:Read-a-thon • Families:Read to Me • Reentry:Freedom Ticket • Arts:Poetry Books, Cultural Programs, and One Read Book Discussions

  6. Read-A-Thon: Win a Dictionary • Residents read books in five different categories, fill out a form describing what they read, and then get a dictionary (English or Spanish) • Helps residents working on GED, writing letters home, low literacy readers, boosts self-esteem, and encourages reading different types of books • Assists library staff with collection development

  7. Selected Read-A-Thon Comments Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens “The story of an orphan on the mean streets of London around the turn of the century.” A Room with a View by E.M. Forster “I found it hard to follow, but I’m glad she chose passion. Her aunt was exhausting.” Bad Boy by Olivia Goldsmith “It is amazing how many times we look over the ones who love us (or hurt the ones we love). This book is true to life. You never want anything until its out of your reach.”

  8. Read to Me • Promotes how family literacy and library use can help the residents’ children succeed in school and life • Helps to maintain and strengthen the bond children and their incarcerated parent • Three sessions facilitated by library staff and a community volunteer • Residents learn about family literacy, pick books for their children, record themselves reading, and then the books and a CD are sent to the children

  9. Selected Comments about Read to Me “I felt the Read to Me experience was a great opportunity to touch base with my child in the wake of my absence. Her response to it was a positive one. It kept me alive when I was unable to be there to read to her.” - Joey, ACF resident “It’s starting off like a new beginning to me, because I never read to my kids, and this program gave me a chance to do that.” - Michael, ACF resident A complete audio interview is available online at: http://www.hclib.org/Staff/LibraryServices/Outreach/index.cfm

  10. Freedom Ticket • Freedom Ticket is where Hennepin County Library offers information and links to library resources, programs, and reentry tools to help people released from correctional facilities rejoin their community with greater success. • Newsletter with library and community reentry resources • Job Resource Workshops at ACF • Reentry page on HCL website at: www.hclib.org/freedomticket

  11. Arts and Cultural Programs • Creative Writing Workshops • Poetry Books • Mixed Blood Theatre • One Read Book Discussion

  12. Creative Writing and Poetry Books Adult Corrections Facility Creative Minds (2007) Words from Within (2008) Set Me Free (2009) County Home School Diverse-City (2007) Diverse-City (2008)

  13. Mixed Blood Theatre at ACF • Celebrate diversity and cultural awareness • Promote literacy, reading and library use • Examples of programs for Black History Month: Dr. King’s Dream (Men’s - 2007) Daughter’s of Africa (Women’s - 2007 & Both - 2008) Jackie Robinson (Men’s - 2009)

  14. One Read Book Discussion A One Read is as simple as it sounds. Give copies of the same book to a group and then bring them together to talk about it.

  15. 2009 One Read: The Soloist

  16. One Read Program Goals: • To encourage adults to read more • To strengthen our communities by bringing people together to share ideas and learn from one another

  17. ACF One Read Program Details The program began with a small group discussion about the book for 30 minutes in each of the five resident units. These were facilitated by all of the former Corrections librarians and HCL staff. A performance followed the discussion for entire group. Daniel Marcou, Erin Callahan, Ruth Bishop, Lin Maki, and Carmen Herzog

  18. One Community of Readers

  19. Selected Comments from the One Read Events “I really loved being complimented about my honest and heartfelt thoughts and opinions.” “I loved it and it really helped me feel normal for the evening. Thank you!” “This was nice and fun to have so many different women reading and talking about a common story. Everyone seemed to relate in one way or another.” “The performance was awesome and the music was relaxing and calming and made me forget all my problems for a whole half hour which felt wonderful. Thank you! ”

  20. Why Provide Library Service and Programs to the Incarcerated? • Nationwide, 3,200 jails release 10,000,000 people each year. 2/3 of them are likely to be incarcerated within 3 years of release • 10 million U.S. children have a parent in prison at some point in their lives • In Minnesota, 1 out of 26 adults is in prison or under some form of corrections supervision • Libraries offer all people the resources and tools they need to make positive changes in their lives

  21. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” - Martin Luther King Writing from his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963

  22. Resources ARTICLES “Public Libraries and People in Jail” by Kathleen de la Pena McCook. Reference & User Services Quarterly, Fall 2004. BOOKS Library Services to the Incarcerated by Sheila Clark and Erica MacCreaigh The Prison Library Primer by Brenda Vogel WEBSITES Prison_L - - http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/prison-l YALSA Lockdown - - http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/yalsa-lockdown

  23. How Can You Be Part of Outreach to Corrections? • Visit the facility during library service • Facilitate a bookclub • Take part in the One Read • Volunteer for Read to Me • Outreach Internship

  24. Questions? Contact Daniel Marcou at: dmarcou@hclib.org 952.847.8852

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