Library services in juvenile detention centers (JDCs) and other residential facilities can be incredibly varied. Some JDCs have permanent library collections with regular staffing by librarians, while others have no collection and depend on volunteers to run book club meetings once a month. Regardless of the type of library services you plan to offer, there are a number of important steps you will want to take as you get started...





1. Get to know your local juvenile justice system 

Before you start planning what kind of library services you want to offer, get familiar with your local juvenile justice system. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) classifies juvenile residential programs into five general categories: detention, corrections, camp, community based, and residential treatment. Detention and correctional facilities generally use locks to secure youth in residence, while other residential placements, such as group homes, may be nonsecure and allow youth to leave the residence. If there is a JDC in your area, do a little research about what programs they offer, the demographics of the youth served, the average length of stay of youth, and if there are already any library services being offered. Each state has its own rules for dealing with juvenile offenders and every community will have a different culture around services to youth in detention. Get in touch with your local JDC or residential facility to learn more about their needs and the services and programs they offer. Remember, your library services need to support the mission of the JDC. It is important to develop a positive and trusting relationship with detention center staff. 



A great place to learn more about how the juvenile justice system is is structured in different states and localities is the OJJDP website. 



2. Seek out funding 

Developing a successful JDC library requires a lot of time and energy. It is a good idea to start small and not over-commit yourself. If you are working for a public library or a university, seek out internal financial resources. There are also many governmental, non-governmental grants for which your project may be eligible. You might consider searching for grants that support work with low-income and underserved populations specifically. Make sure you discuss your grant options with JDC administrative staff. Many grants require that you explain how your project will be carried out and evaluated. Meet with JDC staff to discuss your plans in-depth and be open to their suggestions. If you are the one writing a narrative for a grant, send your drafts to JDC administrative staff before they are submitted and encourage their feedback.  It is critical that you represent the JDC positively or your collaboration may be jeopardized. 

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There are also many non-profit organizations that donate books to juvenile detention centers. If you are starting a JDC library from scratch, applying to these organizations for books is a great way to start a collection. Plus, the application process is much less time and energy demanding than many other grants to which you might apply. For more information on funding opportunities for your project, visit this site's funding page.

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3. Develop a service plan and seek out community partners.

This step is intertwined with the previous step. You cannot really apply for grants successfully unless you already have a pretty good idea about what kinds of library services you plan to offer. If possible, get youth input. The first guideline on YALSA's "National Teen Space Guidelines" is to "create a space that meets the needs of teens in the community by asking teens to play a role in the planning process." This guideline definitely applies in JDC libraries. Meet with the youth served by the JDC to discuss your ideas and learn about what they want out of the space, the collection, and the services.

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Keep sustainability in mind as you apply for funding, develop a service plan, and look for community partners. Start small with your services. Your initial services might be limited to reader's advisory activities and basic collection maintenance. As you become more comfortable, your services may evolve and involve other community members. 



If you are not able to commit to the long term success of this project, think of strategies that will keep your library services going once you are gone. Consider teaming up with a local Library and Information Science School, or a local youth organization. Involving multiple partners not only helps ensure the long term stability of a project, but is also a way to offer services more regularly. As you prepare your service plan, be explicit about how you intend to involve other community partners. If roles are not clearly defined, your collaboration will be more of a headache than an asset. Wait until you are able to provide training and continued support for community volunteers before you integrate them into the project.



Finally, remember that involving multiple community partners can be enormously beneficial to the youth you serve. Youth will have a reduced sense of isolation and will have the opportunity to have positive social interactions with members from the community. Thus, the library's focus will not only be on reading and literacy, but promoting social values and restorative aims. Check out Isaac Gilman's article "Beyond Books" for more information about creating a service plan that is centered in restorative justice.



 

4. Create a Collection Development Policy

​If you are developing an in-house library collection, establishing a collection development policy is an important step. JDCs will often have strict regulations on the types of materials that you can bring into the library. As Hennepin County JDC librarian Patrick Jones states, “Librarians are paid to provide free access to information; correctional officers are paid to work in an environment where freedom is limited" (Jones, 2004). Expect limitations both in terms of content (certain portrayals of violence, gangs, sex, nudity, and prison breaks) as well as format (metal book-ends, hardcover books, staples, heavy books). Each detention center will have different restrictions.  It is important to have continued discussions with JDC staff to ensure that the materials you bring in meet their particular mission.

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Be nuanced in your collection development policy. If you decide to restrict all books with portrayals of sex and violence, your collection might be pretty slim (and boring). This kind of collection development policy, for example, would almost entirely foreclose the possibility of bringing any 'urban fiction' or 'street lit' into your library. This would be unfortunate as this genre is undoubtedly one of the most popular genres within JDC libraries. Much teen urban fiction is written not to glorify gang violence, but to shed light on the reality that many youth face. Often these works are specifically written with restorative aims in mind and can be valuable resources for youth to think critically about their lives and experiences. For more information on collection development as it relates specifically to urban fiction in JDCs, check out page 36 of Jodi Bodart's article "It's All About The Kids." Finally, make sure your collection development policy is explicit about the focus and purpose of your collection: will the collection support curricular goals at the jdc, focus solely on recreational reading, collect in certain areas more than others?



For some great examples of JDC library collection development policies and resources, check out the "Collection Development" page of the Library Services for Youth in Custody Website. 



5. Create a programming plan

Start small, and work your way to more advanced programming as you become more comfortable. If you are developing a library from scratch, you might focus more on collection development and mainteance and not offer programming right away. Alternatively, you may opt to begin with programming before developing an in-house library. It is not necessarily critical to start your library services by establishing a collection. It might be just as useful to start by holding book club meetings. This way you can learn more about the youth and their interests. There are many successful 'library projects' in JDCs that focus more on programming and mentoring than on collection development. Visit the Successful Projects page of this website for examples.



When you develop programming, remember that youth are constantly cycling in and out of the system. If you are running a book club, you will likely have a different set of youth each time your group meets. This does not mean book club programming is a bad idea (it is most certainly a good idea!), it just means you need to have a plan to involve all youth regardless of how much of a book they have read. Also keep in mind that youth in detention will be at a variety of reading levels, with many of them significantly below their grade level. 



If you are offering programming that involves outside community members, make sure you understand the JDC's policies and procedures for bringing in guests. Visitors may need administrative approval, a background check, and a security clearance. Make sure you check well in advance what the procedures are and notify staff of your intention to bring in guests. If there is not a JDC staff available to escort your guest, your program will not happen. Make sure the timing of your program works with the schedules of the JDC staff and other programs being offered in the JDC.



 





6. Offer support to youth as they re-enter their communities

While it is primarily the responsibility of probation officers, social workers, and exit counselors to provide re-entry support for youth, these services are often minimal and not well coordinated. (Sweeney, 2012). JDC librarians can assist youth in their transition back into the community in a variety of ways. In "Between the Lines" Katherine Dittman explains that emphasizing Character-Based Literacy (CBL), "examining a character's choices and thought process during a story,"can help foster positive emotional and behavioral  development in youth. (Dittman, 2008).  Jennifer Sweeney argues that this kind of literacy is essential in supporting youth reentry (Sweeney, 2012). 



Modeling your JDC library after the public library is another way to offer re-entry support. Many youth in detention value the JDC library more than all other resources within the institution. You can offer programming that focuses on how to use the public library upon release. Partnering with exit counselors or probation staff can enhance this programming. Make sure youth understand where the libraries are in their neighborhood, how to get a library card, and the various ways they can use the library (a place to hang out, learn resume writing skills, check out popular movies, get homework help, perform spoken word poetry, etc).  Other examples of re-entry support programming include:



• How to write a resume and apply for a job
• How to find a place to live
• How to find social services locations (substance abuse treatment, food aid, shelters, probation, crisis hotlines, and counseling centers)
• How to apply to community college
• How to balance a checkbook (Sweeney, 2012) 

 



7. Network, and Stay Informed

Keep in touch with other JDC librarians to stay informed about the world of JDC librarianship. There is power in numbers!



Subscribe to YALSA's Lockdown list. 

This list is dedicated to discussing issues faced by librarians serving incarcerated youth.



You might also consider subscribing to ALA's Prison-L listserv

This list focuses on issues in correctional librarianship in general.

   

Visit the Library Services for Youth in Custody Website.

This website is created by and for librarians who work with youth in custody and has a tremendous amount of useful resources from collection development policies to book lists.