DannyBoyinExile

Abraham Lincoln once said that “those who do not read have no advantage over those who CANNOT read”. That statement is so accurate that it would practically be a crime to keep someone locked in a prison with no opportunity to entertain and educate himself by reading.
Each prison in TDCJ is equipped with a library, where the inmates are given the opportunity to check out books on a regular basis. There is even a certain amount of money in the budget each year (for the libraries, I mean, not the inmates!) to keep each library stocked with a variety of books. While it would be impossible to satisfy every single inmate’s favorite books and authors, I must commend them on how well-stocked the libraries generally are.
Just about every genre and popular author is represented, and some prolific authors have entire shelves filled solely with their books. There is also a multitude of reference and educational books, whereby an inmate can study and learn about practically any subject he is inclined to read about.
We can also order books from outside vendors, so long as they are delivered to the unit from the vendor, and not from on individual, to lessen the likelihood of its being stuffed or sprayed with various chemicals. (The LAST thing most of these inmates need is more dead brain cells!)
Many of us choose to donate these books to the library once we’re finished with them, rather than needlessly holding onto stacks of books that we have no use for, since we’ve already read them – but some inmates insist on keeping them, just to feel as if they have lots of property, I suppose.
These books are also passed around and swapped out with other avid readers until their covers and pages are literally falling apart. In fact, when you see a book that requires a rubber band to hold all of its pieces together, you KNOW it’s a really good book, and worth looking into.
I have read THOUSANDS of books during the thirty years I’ve been in prison – and I am much better off because of it. I have learned and grown as a person in many ways that I might not have, had I not been exposed to the ideas and information I picked up from books. And I’ve made quite a few friends over the years, with people of various races and religions, simply because I saw them reading a book that I was familiar with, and started a conversation about it.
There are even a surprising number of organizations out there, who are perfectly willing to send books to inmates – absolutely free – just to encourage people to read, and give them the opportunity to do so.
I’ve known guys who came to prison completely illiterate, and literally taught themselves to read, by reading old, torn-up Westerns! I applaud them for their determination – and sincerely hope they upgrade to reading something better than that rubbish! (just kidding)
But you can’t FORCE anyone to read, and some inmates can’t be bothered to – even now that we have so much idle time, with nothing better to do. It was them that Honest Abe was referring to, who might as well be illiterate, since they don’t learn any of the things they could, if they’d just do a little reading. What can I say? You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him think! So says DannyBoy.