Library services to the incarcerated in the 21st century : is Malta falling behind?

Abstract

This work outlines various aspects of prison libraries gathered from several resources and studies that have been published in books, research reports, articles, and professional journals. Furthermore, new material about the Maltese prison libraries has been drawn from local research and personal contact with various stakeholders: including the Assistant Managers of the Corradino Correctional Facility (C.C.F.) and the Young Persons Offenders Unit (YOURS), inmates who have been interviewed, and other members who have a connection to the prison.

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the dissertation and its objectives. Chapter 2 examines previous research on library services within a correctional institution. Chapter 3 provides information on the services that the prison libraries are currently providing to the patrons that are incarcerated at the Corradino Correctional Facility (C.C.F.) and the Young Persons’ Offenders Unit (YOURS). Chapter 4 is designed to serve as an overview of the development and management of established prison libraries, which can be conveniently adapted to local circumstances. Chapter 5 is dedicated to recommendations and further comments regarding the research the author has carried out and how these can be implemented into prison library service in a local context.