Prison libraries

After a brief introduction looking at how the French prison service is run, the role of rehabilitation and probation services, and the protocols and circulars governing joint policy between the Culture and Justice Ministries, the article draws on the results of a 2007 questionnaire to provide a survey of prison library facilities in the light of institutional recommendations. The article focuses on desirable objectives in terms of modernisation, professionalisation, and partnerships in order to give ongoing legitimacy to library services that are still too often under threat.
Read