Prisons across Canada are cutting back on inmate access to libraries. This unfortunate occurrence is the result of overcrowded prisons (which makes it difficult to move prisoners around) and budget cuts, which limit reading materials.
CBC News has the scoop: “Last year, the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert, Sask., didn’t extend a contract with the region’s library service, shutting down access for inmates. The library was open five days per week in the afternoons and evenings and inmates would borrow, on average, about 50 items per day. The program cost about $70,000 a year.”
Canadian prisoners aren’t the only inmates having issues obtaining books. British justice ministers have recently made it more difficult for prisoners in England and Wales to have family and friends send them books.