JSTOR Expands Free Education in US Prisons

JSTOR’s Access in Prison Initiative and Prison Banned Books Week are making strides toward improving information access for people who are incarcerated.

Literary censorship is already a concern for librarians in the United States. However, while people fight for their right to read, a staggering number of books never make it to prison library shelves. Thankfully, a common library digital database called JSTOR is among several organizations working to reduce prison censorship and increase free education for inmates.

The Importance of JSTOR

Anyone who has conducted research at a local public library is likely familiar with JSTOR or has at least come across it. Students also use JSTOR for projects and assignments. It’s a digital library database featuring 12 million books, journal articles, images, primary sources, and images in seventy-five disciplines.

Public use of JSTOR is limited, but libraries and specific organizations use their funding to enable unrestricted access to patrons. JSTOR’s mission is to provide free and accessible education for all people in the US, and many public libraries share this value. What does this have to do with US prisons? For JSTOR, it means giving inmates access to these resources in prison libraries.

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Educational Censorship in US Prisons

Did you know that prisons are among the United States’ largest censors? In particular, PEN America research has proven a staggering number of banned books within US prisons. Inmates are also not allowed to vote, separating them from elections that ironically determine their livelihoods within prison walls. There’s no question that inmates have made mistakes, but all people have the right to free and accessible education.

More specifically, reports confirm that prison books are being banned not just for their contents but also for details such as their sizes and the color of mailed wrapping paper. There’s a growing concern that educational censorship has become another type of punishment.

JSTOR’s Access in Prison Initiative

To address the increasing concern of prison censorship, JSTOR has developed an advocacy initiative to expand its services to more inmates nationwide. Although JSTOR has offered its database to inmates since 2007, in 2019, it began its goal to reach more US prisons. This started with funding from the Mellon Foundation, which provided enhanced offline access to JSTOR.

JSTOR also acquired funding from Ascendium Education Group, giving inmates direct access to the database. JSTOR aims to launch a three-year program to increase access to all higher education in prison (HEP) programs in the United States. They plan to provide direct, offline access to accommodate various facility security requirements.

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Next Steps in Prison Education Advocacy

In cooperation with higher education groups within prisons like ITHAKA, JSTOR ensures public education access remains a right, not a privilege. Today, JSTOR is accessible in one thousand prison sites nationwide, but they hope to increase that number. With 2.2 million people incarcerated in the United States, it’s important to break down barriers and reach out to all of them.

JSTOR’s higher education partner, ITHAKA, states, “Higher education in prison is at a critical juncture.” The restoration of Pell Grants for incarcerated students, the growing number of university-affiliated programs, and the national focus on social justice topics such as systemic racism have made JSTOR access more important than ever. ITHAKA and JSTOR hope that education for incarcerated students will lead to brighter futures upon release.

Prison Banned Books Week

In response to the shocking findings of their research, PEN America formally launched Prison Banned Books Week in 2023. In 2024, the nationally recognized event will occur September 15–21. The week aims to bring awareness to the glaring issue of prison censorship in the United States.

This year, issues like literary materials being confiscated in prison mailrooms are being addressed. Educational texts get mistaken as contraband when they could be helpful for incarcerated students. Also, while inmates can use tablets, their contents are minimal and inaccessible. In response, the San Francisco Public Library has extended its catalog to local jails. Prison Banned Books Week also calls for public library catalogs to be available on all prison tablets.

Incarcerated people have made mistakes, but that shouldn’t deny them the right to free, accessible education. JSTOR is increasing its services to US prisons to support Prison Banned Books Week.

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