Table of Contents
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
OPI: FPI
NUMBER: 1542.06
DATE: February 18, 1997
SUBJECT: Library Services, Inmate
PURPOSE AND SCOPE §544.100
The Bureau of Prisons provides inmates within each of its institutions with library services necessary for educational, cultural, and leisure activity. The Warden shall ensure that the inmate library has a wide variety of reading materials. Library services shall ordinarily be available to all inmates daily, including evenings and weekends, except in detention facilities where service shall be scheduled as frequently as possible to ensure reasonable access.
Each institution shall provide access to a full range of materials for education and leisure purposes. Provisions for the establishing and maintaining an institution’s legal library are provided in the Program Statement on Inmate Legal Activities.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
The expected result of this program is:
A full range of library services will be provided in accord with inmate needs, budgetary considerations, and security concerns.
DIRECTIVES AFFECTED
Directive Rescinded
PS 1542.05 Inmate Library Services (07/13/93)
Directives Referenced
PS 1001.12 Donations, Acceptance of (07/01/96)
PS 1315.05 Legal Activities, Inmates (06/13/94)
Rules cited in this Program Statement
Rules cited in this Program Statement are contained in 28 CFR 544.100-101.
STANDARDS REFERENCED
American Correctional Association Standards for the Administration of Correctional Agencies: 2-CO-5B-01.
American Correctional Association 3rd Edition Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions, Third Edition: 3-4261, 3-4447, 3-4448, 3-4449, 3-4450, 3-4451, 3-4452, 3-4453.
American Correctional Association for Adult Correctional Boot Camp Programs: 1-ABC-5E-01 through 03.
American Correctional Association 3rd Edition Standards for Adult Local Detention Facilities: 3-ALDF-3D-24, 3-ALDF-5E-01 through 04.
PROCEDURES §544.101
The Warden Shall Assign a Staff Member (Ordinarily the Supervisor of Education) Responsibility for the Inmate Library
The Supervisor of Education may delegate to a qualified staff member the responsibility to coordinate and supervise library services. This position may be full-time or part-time and may be filled by a volunteer or contract personnel.
If the person is not a trained librarian, he/she shall receive training in library services.
Staff responsible for the inmate library are to ensure that the library offers:
- a conducive environment (well-lighted space, good acoustics, etc.) and an accessible location;
- a logical organization of material;
- a simple and effective circulation system;
- reference material/source, designed to locate information as needed;
- a program designed to promote the use of library materials (for example, posters, and book discussion groups);
- audio-visual material for education and leisure purposes; and
- daily library hours in proportion to inmate needs, with evening and weekend hours. The library shall be open for a minimum of three hours daily and eight hours over weekends.
The Inmate Library Shall Offer an Inmate a Variety of Reading Materials, Including, but Not Limited to, Periodicals, Newspapers, Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Reference Books
- Funds for the provision of library services are to be provided from the institution’s education budget.
- The Central Office librarian is qualified in library science and is available to provide institutions with technical assistance and advice to establish and maintain library services.
- A program for the continuous acquisition of new material shall be established and implemented cost effectively to meet the needs of inmates.
The Supervisor of Education shall develop written guidelines to define principles, purposes, and criteria used for selection and maintenance of library materials.
- The library shall include both general and specialized reference material.
- In a cost-effective manner, each library shall participate in, and promote the use of, an interlibrary loan program with local, state, or college libraries and available bookmobile services.
- In accord with the Program Statement on Acceptance of Donations, the library may accept and use free books and other publications, as well as technical assistance and circulating library collections services.
Where the Population of an Institution Includes Inmates of Foreign Origin, Staff Shall Attempt to Provide Reading Materials in the Inmates’ Language
Institutions are encouraged to provide reading materials in various languages to reflect inmates’ diverse reading needs. When ten percent or more of an institution’s population speaks a language other than English, reading materials shall be provided in that language.
Inmate Library Services Shall be Made Available to Inmates in Special Housing Units
The Warden or Designee May Authorize the Use of Inmates as Library Assistants
If library assistants are used, the Supervisor of Education shall develop written guidelines that address (at a minimum) their selection, training, supervision, and duties.
Kathleen M. Hawk, Director
Published Feb 8, 2025 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Feb 24, 2025 at 3:30 pm