State prisons find solution for book ban

Reducing drug trafficking behind bars is a good thing. Limiting prisoners’ access to reading materials was not.

It’s one thing to throw the book at a convicted criminal. It’s another thing to not let him read.

But, a book ban — or something pretty close to that — was put in place by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in the fall in an effort to block a potential illicit drug pathway into prisons via book donations to prisoners.

Reducing drug trafficking behind bars is a good thing.

Limiting prisoners’ access to reading materials was not.

A resolution has emerged, thanks to the DOC’s willingness to work with prisoner advocates and lawmakers. A new centralized processing center for book orders has been planned.

As things had stood, book donation programs and all mail-order books and publications were prohibited as the prison system battled a new method of drug smuggling: reading materials with paper soaked in synthetic cannabinoids (street name: K2.)

The DOC was to limit new reading material to more expensive e-books as well as to book orders placed on special jailhouse kiosks that, in the end, couldn’t handle the workload.

Under the security crackdown, prisoners were without adequate reading materials. The detriment was obvious.

Outcry from advocates for both books and prisoners ensued. And the DOC became inspired.

The updated policy will allow book donation organizations direct contact with inmates via a centralized screening and processing center at a state institution in Bellefonte. Also, family and friends can order books on behalf of inmates and those books can be shipped directly from publishers or bookstores to the same processing center.

Time is in big supply behind state prison bars. Worthwhile ways to the pass that time? Not so much. The DOC should be doing all it can to encourage more prisoners to read more. As they used to say: Reading is “fun”damental.