Federal Prisons Reverse Policy That Made Buying Books Difficult and Expensive

Date:  05-04-2018 Limited selection and 30 percent markup was met with resistance from families, advocates, people in prison, and educators

From The Washington Post: Federal prison officials abruptly reversed a controversial policy Thursday that had made it harder and more expensive for thousands of inmates to receive books by banning direct delivery through the mail from publishers, bookstores and book clubs. The restrictions were already in place in facilities in Virginia and California and were set to start this month at a prison in Florida. Under the rules, inmates in at least four facilities were required to order books only through a prison-approved vendor and, at three of the prisons, to pay an extra 30 percent markup. Continue reading >>>