Dr. Tom Haney on Books By way of Bars, Philadelphia

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, right this moment, we’re right here to speak about Books By way of Bars, Philly. As a Canadian or a foreigner, I do know Philadelphia by its nickname, “Philly,” probably the most recognizable metropolis names in the USA. So, how did Books By way of Bars, Philly get began in Philly?

Dr. Tom Haney: Nicely, Scott, that is attention-grabbing as a result of there’s a Canadian connection. Initially, a few folks working for New Society Publishers right here in Philadelphia began the initiative. New Society Publishers has since moved out on the West Coast to Canada.

An individual at New Society Publishers, an organization devoted to sure forms of books, began receiving letters from inmates. The letters usually stated, “I don’t have any cash, however I’d wish to learn. Are you able to ship me some books?” This particular person and some others acquired collectively, and that’s how Books By way of Bars started.

There’s a bit extra to the story. Two folks from New Society Publishers have been concerned, one in every of whom was Barbara Harlow, the mom of Books By way of Bars. She took over from Todd and acquired just a few of her mates collectively. The difficulty was that New Society Publishers didn’t publish the sorts of books that incarcerated folks have been requesting. So, they branched out on their very own, on the lookout for locations the place they may purchase or have books donated, and so they have been the primary to begin sending books to prisoners throughout the USA.

Jacobsen: America has a major incarcerated inhabitants. It’s intertwined with varied points, akin to racial and sophistication disparities. We are able to contact on these later. However relating to your position as president, Tom, what tasks or duties does that entail?

Haney: I’ve been with Books By way of Bars for about 12 years. Like everybody else, I began by strolling by the doorways, choosing and packing books to ship out. I’m now the president of Books By way of Bars, which I usually joke about, saying it comes with no tasks aside from having my identify on the authorized paperwork. We’re a nonprofit group registered within the state of Pennsylvania. By regulation, we want three folks to signal the authorized paperwork, together with the president. My main responsibility is to be the face of BTV. I do a whole lot of interviews and public talking, and I’m one of many essential hosts when volunteers are available to assist choose up and pack books for cargo. There are just a few different small duties, however that’s it from my perspective. 

Jacobsen: You’ve obtained in depth media protection in Philadelphia, together with from the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Citizen. That’s at the very least half or extra of our protection. How does that occur? How does a Canadian come throughout this group each 15 years or so?

Haney: I don’t know methods to reply that one. As I discussed, the roots of Books By way of Bars date again to 1989; by 1991, we grew to become a nonprofit group separate from New Society Publishers. We’ve been round for over 30 years; many individuals know and call us. We used to ship books throughout the USA, however that grew to become too costly, so now we solely ship them to prisons within the mid-Atlantic states. Nonetheless, we’re nonetheless pretty well-known throughout the nation. So, that’s how folks hear about us. I hope that solutions your query.

Jacobsen: It does. That was only a aspect query. What are the limitations inmates face to accessing literature?

Haney: Now, that’s an enormous query. 

Jacobsen: Nicely, the factor is, these organizations exist for a cause. So why? Does public infrastructure have to fill that hole?

Haney: There’s a comparability to be made between now and when Books By way of Bars first began. Again then, we have been one in every of solely three organizations within the nation. Now, there are organizations like ours in virtually each state. Plus, there are a few comparable organizations in Canada and England.

The necessity for these organizations comes from just a few totally different areas. First, one of many main causes folks find yourself incarcerated and in hassle is a scarcity of training—poor or no training—particularly in the event that they’re coming from a serious metropolis or inner-city space. It doesn’t matter these days as a result of main cities’ suburbs and surrounding areas have grown and face the identical issues as massive cities. So, many individuals haven’t graduated highschool and will not have even made it out of grade college. There are just a few causes for that.

The key one is abuse, particularly youngster abuse, and the way an individual feels about themselves. A whole lot of incarcerated folks have poor shallowness, hate themselves, and don’t suppose they’re price something, which leads them to consider they’ll’t accomplish something. In consequence, their training suffers. One other concern is that when an individual is incarcerated, jail faculties and libraries are handled like the colleges and libraries in main cities—when cash is required elsewhere, ancillary applications are reduce.

These in an enormous metropolis would possibly see how your public faculties work. A whole lot of smaller applications get reduce as a result of funds are wanted elsewhere. The identical factor occurs in prisons. Faculties and libraries in prisons are thought of ancillary applications. So, when prisons want extra funds—sometimes for safety—cash is reduce from the colleges and libraries.

This leaves folks contained in the jail needing extra assets to coach themselves. Books By way of Bars’ main objective is to assist of us inside educate themselves. We don’t simply ship academic books; we ship all types of books and literature. If we are able to get a ebook into somebody’s fingers and so they sit down and skim it, they’re educating themselves, it doesn’t matter what the ebook is.

Two issues occurred just lately. We acquired a letter from an incarcerated gentleman who serves because the inmate librarian in his jail library. He’s asking us for books as a result of the jail received’t purchase extra books for his or her library. One other unhappy story: we obtained a letter from a instructor in a highschool jail asking us to ship books to assist her and her college students and inventory the jail library as a result of the jail just lately made important cuts to the college’s price range. Research have proven time and time once more that if an individual can educate themselves earlier than they’re launched, they’ve a much better likelihood of main a greater, crime-free life.

And so, that is our main objective—to assist of us on the within. One other instance: About six months in the past, we obtained a letter from a gentleman who despatched us the transcript for his GED. He’s been receiving books from us for just a few years, however I’m not sure what number of. He simply acquired his GED whereas in jail, and now he’s asking for books to review for the SATs as a result of he needs to go on to varsity. Of us, getting your GED on the surface might be tough. Getting your GED in jail might take a number of years. So, that is no small accomplishment for this explicit gentleman, and that’s why we do what we do. We obtain thank-you letters telling us how a lot the books are appreciated and the way we’ve helped them. Training is our objective for the oldsters on the within.

Jacobsen: Now, African People and males sometimes obtain harsher sentences, even once you management for different components like criminological, demographic, and socioeconomic variables.

Haney: True. 

Jacobsen: In the USA, a good portion of the jail inhabitants is males. So, by way of unequal sentencing remedy and the disproportionate variety of males and African People in these areas, this looks as if a gender equality concern. This looks as if a deep feminist concern that isn’t talked about a lot, in all probability as a result of it’s seen as politically sensitive, delicate, or incorrect to advocate for males on this approach, typically. In relation to these results, how does the shortage of literature, regardless that these organizations now exist extra extensively, prohibit life potentialities for males in the event that they’re in jail or as soon as they’re out, provided that they now have a document and infrequently haven’t had entry to academic supplies?

Haney: What you’re saying is appropriate. Sadly, I don’t have any figures available in the intervening time. However I can inform you that my group and I are concerned with different organizations that assist what we name “returning residents” right here in Philadelphia, particularly as a result of most of the folks being launched are folks of color. It takes a lot work for folks to seek out employment, particularly relying on the crime they have been incarcerated for.

Employment, typically, is hard, and I don’t have the precise figures, however unemployment is excessive, it doesn’t matter what. So, they should battle—due to their document—to seek out any employment, particularly over somebody who hasn’t been incarcerated. Because of their lack of training, the accessible jobs are sometimes extraordinarily low-paying, menial, and typically tough to deal with. This can be a big concern for many individuals right here on the surface.

One other a part of your query touches on the truth that some folks outdoors jail really feel that those that have been incarcerated—ex-cons—don’t deserve sure issues, together with decent-paying work. I’ll contact on one thing else that won’t have been a part of your query however is related to what’s taking place in society right this moment: Individuals with alcohol or drug addictions face very poor remedy applications on the within. These applications don’t work nicely except the particular person is extraordinarily motivated, which many incarcerated of us should not, attributable to poor shallowness and self-worth. They don’t really feel they deserve something higher.

So, when these of us come out, they nonetheless should struggle their addictions, and there’s not a lot funding for remedy applications on the surface, both. A lot of these applications aren’t well-run and don’t carry out a lot better than the applications inside. So, these of us usually find yourself under the poverty line, perhaps residing on the streets, nonetheless combating their habit, nonetheless searching for medicine and alcohol. If I bear in mind accurately, one examine I noticed not too way back indicated that recidivism charges for folks with little or no remedy after they come out—good remedy, after they lastly do get out—are nonetheless 60% or greater. Most of those of us are again in jail inside 30 days to a couple months.

One other downside with incarceration is that, at the very least right here within the States, we’re horrible at taking good care of our mentally ailing inhabitants. Because of cutbacks in psychological well being applications a number of years in the past, prisons have turn out to be overcrowded with individuals who have psychological well being points and shouldn’t be there within the first place. This overcrowding takes cash away from applications essential for the folks I used to be speaking about. The funds as an alternative go towards constructing new prisons, growing safety, and hiring extra employees. In that respect, our jail system has turn out to be a failure due to the overcrowding and the presence of mentally ailing people who needs to be receiving care elsewhere.

Jacobsen: What sorts of literature do inmates usually wish to learn? In different phrases, if folks wish to donate books—trace trace, wink wink—what sort of literature ought to they donate to make sure it will get learn fairly than sitting and gathering mud?

Haney: Let me put it this manner. Anybody wishing to donate ought to know that there are what we loosely name “books to prisoners” organizations throughout the USA and Canada. For those who log on and sort in “prisoner ebook applications,” you need to provide you with a listing of states and the organizations in these states. Organizations can do it due to your donations. The very first thing to do is search for these organizations on-line. Like Books By way of Bars right here in Philadelphia, all of them have donation pages. Try their donation web page. It can inform you what books we want, what books we don’t want, and what books we received’t settle for.

I’ve some figures in entrance of me, though they’re just a few months previous. To begin with, dictionaries are the primary requested ebook. This exhibits you ways many individuals on the within wish to assist educate themselves. After that, thrillers, mysteries, romances, and sci-fi are the books most requested by the general public. It goes down the road from there.

We get requests for varied sorts of books. As an illustration, we get enterprise books, hobbies, and artwork requests. We additionally obtain a good variety of requests for books on regulation. Let me level this out, of us. Books on regulation are onerous to meet as a result of we aren’t regulation libraries, and we have to get the kind of books donated vital for somebody who needs to work on their circumstances or appeals from the within. So, we ship them data on the place they’ll search for that materials. By the tip of 2023, we had despatched out roughly 19,000 kilos of books. We obtain round 100 letters every week.

Sure, every week of requests. For those who can think about, virtually each single day—when you can inform by my fingers right here as a result of I don’t have the precise quantity—virtually each single day, we get about that many requests. That will be 30, 40, and even 50 requests a day. Now, not all of them are for us. A few of them are for different organizations across the nation. For the states we don’t ship to, we ahead these requests to the suitable organizations to allow them to reply. In return, these organizations that don’t serve Pennsylvania ship the Pennsylvania requests to us. So, we’re taking a look at at the very least 100 or extra weekly requests that our volunteers should course of and ship out.

Jacobsen: What’s the course of for beginning a corporation like yours in one other state or county? It doesn’t should be grand to be necessary. 

Haney: Once we get a query from somebody who needs to begin a corporation, I often inform folks to begin small. Begin along with your metropolis or county jail first and work out from there. Over time, this has turn out to be a particularly difficulttask.

It’s gotten more durable due to prisons’ restrictions on organizations like ours. Getting issues began and getting your self vetted into varied prisons is not any small process, and also you’ll should put in a lot private time to get it up and operating. Not solely time, however you’ll additionally should spend a good quantity of your cash to get the place going. When our folks began this, postage was, and nonetheless is, the best expenditure for organizations like ours. When these of us began sending books, they purchased stamps out of their pockets as a result of they didn’t find the money for from donations to assist run the group. I’ll say that Books By way of Bars has a booklet on methods to begin a Books to Prisoners group that lays out the entire main steps to beginning a corporation like this. It could take me too lengthy to clarify it right here since you should write letters, look ahead to replies, and discover the best folks to speak to—which might be tough. So, we revealed just a little booklet only for that. I’m not fully certain how else to say it.

The opposite factor to think about is that you could be have already got a Books to Prisoners group in your city. As an illustration, right here in Pennsylvania, there are Books By way of Bars in Philadelphia. Nonetheless, there’s additionally the Jail E book Program in Pittsburgh. So, Pennsylvania has two organizations. New York State has a few organizations as nicely. So, when you’re desirous about this, and if there’s a corporation near you, contemplate volunteering with that group as a result of we are able to all the time use extra assist.

Jacobsen: Tom, any remaining ideas primarily based on the dialog right this moment?

Haney: No, I hope everyone enjoys this, finds some good perception, and goes out to discover a Books to Prisoners group close to them to volunteer with or donate books. You heard what I mentioned right here in Philadelphia—assist your native organizations. Different organizations round it’s possible you’ll not essentially be associated to sending books in however are associated to jail points. You would possibly wish to get entangled with these and assist them as a result of it’s critical.

As an illustration, in October, I’m going to a convention in Colorado on public security. I’ll focus on how decreasing public security considerations entails engaged on the entrance finish—earlier than somebody will get incarcerated—and on the again finish—when individuals are launched, serving to them begin a greater life. This could scale back crime, gun violence, and accidents on our streets. These are methods to get entangled and assist make a distinction.

Jacobsen: Tom, thanks for right this moment’s alternative and time and for introducing me to Books By way of Bars, Philly.

Haney: Sure, of us, keep in mind that. Particularly when you’re right here in Pennsylvania, when you look us up on-line, it’s “Books By way of Bars,” spelled out, and ensure it’s the Philadelphia deal with. There are different organizations with comparable names, so when you look us up, search for the Philadelphia location. Scott, thanks a lot for inviting me right here. It was a pleasure. That is satisfying for everybody to take heed to and so that you can course of and get on the market. I hope you loved listening to me discuss.

Jacobsen: I did, I did. Thanks. 

Haney: Thanks, thanks, thanks a lot, and revel in the remainder of your day.

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Different protection:

 To be taught extra about our work and our affect, learn theBooks By way of Bars 2023 Finish-Of-12 months E-newsletter.

BTB IN THE NEWS

Books By way of Bars: Discussing the Significance of Books in Prisons with Dr. Tom Haney: Pursuing Justice podcast episode, March 21, 2024

Sentences for the Sentenced: The Philadelphia Citizen, March 11, 2024

Second First Likelihood: A documentary produced by college students from Temple College’s Klein School of Media and Communication, Might 5, 2019

Beneath Stress, Pa. Prisons Repeal Restrictive E book Coverage: The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 2, 2018

Pa. Jail Authorities Curb Letters, Books, Newspapers: The Militant, October 1, 2018

One Evaluation of Pa. Prisons’ Dear Ebooks: ‘Books That Are Out there for Free, That No one Desires Anyway’: The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 2018

Return to Sender: No Extra Mailing Books to Inmates in Pennsylvania: Slate, September 19, 2018

Pa. Jail Books and Mail Insurance policies Draw Protests, Petitions, and Doable Authorized Challenges: The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 13, 2018

Pennsylvania Prisons Terminating E book Donations Amid ‘Drug Disaster’: Billy Penn, September 12, 2018

Barbara Hirshkowitz, Activist Who Aided Prisoners: obituary for our co-founder in The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 22, 2007

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