A 2023 study by PEN America found that book bans in prison systems have risen dramatically in the last decades, even in seemingly progressive states.  Washington state, for example, more than doubled the instances of book bans between 2019 and 2021.  In addition to restrictions on reading through specific book bans, censoring certain topics in the name of safety, and mailing restrictions, incarcerated people may have limited outlets for telling their stories, writing about their experiences, and advocating for justice.

In this Salon, we will discuss the value, purpose, and restriction of literacy activism and literacy in incarceration institutions such as prisons, juvenile detentions centers, and locked wards.  PEN America’s Reading Between the Bars will help inform the discussion, as well as articles from the Prison Journalism Project.