Now prisoners can find out Why Bad Things Happen to Good People
The federal Bureau of Prisons will return religious materials that were removed from prison chapel libraries to prevent religious extremism, according to the Associated Press.
The purged books that were removed included Christian discipleship materials (see CT's first story).
The material removed since June will be returned to prison chapel libraries unless it is found to be radicalizing or inciting violence. By June 2008, "what comes off the shelves will be a very, very small number, because the vast majority of material will be on the 'that's OK list,'" bureau spokeswoman Judi Simon Garrett told the AP.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Tex., still expresses concern:
"There's probably a limited universe of materials that incite violence, and I understand that perhaps those need to be banned," said Hensarling. "Instead, what the Bureau of Prisons appears to be doing is really censoring religious texts, deciding what is acceptable."
The New York Times' story says that previously, the bureau was not reconsidering the library policy, but it reversed its decision after receiving widespread criticism from lawmakers and religious groups.
But critics of the bureau's program said it appeared that the bureau had bowed to widespread outrage. "Certainly putting the books back on the shelves is a major victory, and it shows the outcry from all over the country was heard," said Moses Silverman, a lawyer for three prisoners who are suing the bureau over the program.
Prison Fellowship President Mark Early told the AP:
"It took years for chaplains, local churches and other religious organizations to build up the holdings of many prison chapel libraries. Prisoners need access to more material to promote rehabilitation, not less. We want to monitor the process."
Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey on September 28, 2007 1:31PM
Comments
What happens when "religious extremism" is defined to be Christianity? Government censorship is a scary thing when it starts making judgment calls for its people about what is or is not good for them to read or have access to...I'd be curious to know exactly how they're defining their (oh-so-eloquently put) "that's OK list" when it comes to books.
Posted by: wheatiegirl4ever! at September 28, 2007
As a librarian who works to bring materials into correctional facilities, religious materials and secular alike, based solely on the requests of the incarcerated, I can say that we have a pretty wide latitude about what we are able to bring in to the institution. I hope this continues. Books heal people because the characters allow people to reflect upon themselves, educate themselves and better themselves. Though I am not a conservative christian, I gladly stock the left behind series because it is what they want. Just the same I gladly stock Malcolm X and the works of the Holy Koran. Violence is of this world, not intrinsically of people's hearts. Given the tools of conversation about even the most controversial ideas we can overcome our inclinition to kill eachother over mere words - spoken or in print.
Posted by: Nat X at October 6, 2007
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