Books Behind Bars: A Survey of Print Media Access in North Carolina Detention Facilities

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This paper aims to improve understanding of print media access in North Carolina jails, a resource notable for its importance to a population for whom communication and digital tools, such as internet use, are profoundly restricted. The study collected quantitative data on print media collections available to detainees in North Carolina jails and the resources of each jail in the state. Information was solicited from jail administrators from 97 facilities via online survey and collated with information about facility differentiators derived from public state records. Findings indicate that while most participating jails provide some access to print materials, collections are informal, uneven, and largely dependent on overall facility resources, external support, and administrative priorities. There are persistent disparities in service across the state and a need for greater visibility, study, and sustained professional engagement with information access for incarcerated people.</span>