Search About Newsletters Donate

banning books in prison

Eight cropped book covers with shadows behind them appear in a grid against a cream-colored background: “The Egyptian Book of the Dead,” “The Hellbound Heart,” “Captive Nation,” “Black on Black Violence,” “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic” and “Effective Java.” The center of the grid shows a pointer cursor hovering above an image of a tool displaying which books are banned in Ohio prisons.
Investigate This October 3, 2023
How to Report on Banned Books in Prisons in Your State
Prisons are among the most restrictive reading environments in the United States.
By The Marshall Project
Eight cropped book covers with shadows behind them appear in a grid against a cream-colored background: “The Egyptian Book of the Dead,” “The Hellbound Heart,” “Captive Nation,” “Black on Black Violence,” “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic” and “Effective Java.” The center of the grid shows an image of a tool displaying which books are banned in Ohio prisons.
Cleveland June 20, 2023
Ohio Prison System Bans Java Computer Manual, But Allows Hitler’s Mein Kampf
Incarcerated people are baffled by the state’s book screening process.
By The Marshall Project
A grid of 9 book covers set on top of a blue background with sharp shadows: Hand Lettering & Calligraphy, Soledad Brother, Mein Kampf, 50 Shades of Grey, 48 Laws of Power, Prison Ramen, The Color Prple, Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Forgotten Realms On top, there are a few blocks of handwriting pointing to some of the books that read: "Threat to the order and security of the institution," "sexually explicit," "methods of poison"
Graphics February 23, 2023
The Books Banned in Your State’s Prisons
We asked all state systems for book policies and ban lists, then created a database for you.
By The Marshall Project
Michael Bennett reads a book at the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Connecticut, in 2010.
Feature December 21, 2022
Why Would Prisons Ban My Book? Absurdities Rule the System
Censorship kept me from finishing a college essay behind bars. Now, prisons might keep readers from my memoir.
By
About
People
Jobs
Sitemap
Funders