New Book by a Formerly Incarcerated Woman

The recently published book, May 2017:

Becoming Ms. Burton

From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women, by   Susan Burton &  Cari Lynn is getting good reviews.  It is on my reading list.

In A Place of Monotony and Despair

I now have my copy the book,  ADVANCES IN LIBRARIANSHIP, edited by University of Maryland iSchool, that includes a chapter  I wrote about Maryland prison library services.  The Title is from a letter I received from a prison library user, thanking me for information services.  His letter began with the words. In A Place of Monotony and Despair... http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S0065-283020160000042008

Formerly Incarcerarted Chris Wilson

Great to see how libraries help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.  Recently, I attended an event in Baltimore where a panelist of successful individuals shared their stories. One panelists was Chris Wilson who  was incarcerated at age 17, spent 16 years in the Maryland prison system, and shared how he used the prison library constantly.  Now back in the community, he is using the skills learned in prison  to maintain his business, Barclay Investment Corporation.   Second Life details his life story to date.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2015/9/29/chris-wilson-lifts-ex-offenders-into-the-workforce

Formerly Incarcerated and Voting

The 2016 election campaign drama reminds me of what I used to tell the prisoners when they said their family  did not vote since their social situations never changed - no matter who won the election.  I would respond that if their family members did not vote, then   the voters would always be the winners. I  urged them to encourage family members to vote because that at least meant they had a seat at the table, even if  sometimes their party of choice did not win.

Enoch Pratt Free Library Writers Live

It was a real pleasure this Wednesday to introduce EPFL Writers Live Guest speaker, Mikita Brottman, author of,  Maximum Security Book Club:Reading Literature in a Men's Prison. After the presentation that was held at the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Baynard Woods, of the City Paper, moderated a lively discussion with Mikita, Vince, one of the original participants in the book club, and the audience. Baynard visited and reported on one of Mikita’s sessions in 2014. 

http://www.citypaper.com/bcp-cms-1-1677169-migrated-story-cp-20140430-featu-20140430-story.html

Vince, Baynard, Glennor, Mikita

Maximum Security Bookclub

I have just finished reading Mikita Brottman's recently published book: Maximum Security Book Club:Reading Literature in a Men's Prison. http://mikitabrottman.com/ Her honesty in describing the behaviors and reactions of the 9 men who participated in her book club at the Jessup Correctional Institute throws more light on the life of those confined to prisons, not only in Maryland but in the United States.

• America’s Slave Empire

·        America’s Slave Empire Posted on Jun 21, 2015 By Chris Hedges

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/americas_slave_empire_20150621America's slave Empire