book ban
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It’s ‘Racial’: Illinois Prison Banned Books on Black History and Empowerment From Inmate Program
Some 3 out of every 4 inmates in Illinois prisons are black, yet, an Illinois prison banned an inmate education program from using books discussing black history or empowerment due to their “racial” content. Now, prison officials are apologizing and pledging to overhaul their review system, according to the Chicago Tribune, but not before officials…
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An Arizona Prisoner Was Sent a Book Critical of the Criminal Justice System. Now, the State Has Banned It
In one of the most memorable passages of his seminal autobiography, civil rights leader Malcolm X made explicit the impact his in-prison education had on him. Arrested on charges of larceny and sentenced to 10 years in prison, Malcolm read voraciously. “I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of…
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Washington State Bans Free Books to Prisoners for No Logical Reason
In a move that flies in the face of more than 45 years of practice with no incident, the Washington State Department of Corrections has moved forward with a policy denying books to prisons under the guise of safety. Book Riot reports that the Washington State DOC “quietly rolled out a new policy via a…
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New Jersey Prisons Lift Ban on Award-Winning Book The New Jim Crow
Updated Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, 1:15 p.m. EST: After being called out by the ACLU for banning an award-winning book about mass incarceration, New Jersey said that it has lifted the ban on Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. According to the New York Times, the state made its decision after the ACLU issued a…