This exploration of juvenile corrections librarianship provides a complete description of these specialized services, addresses unique challenges in this library environment, and promotes intellectual and social growth for at-risk youth.
The facts regarding juvenile corrections are grim. In California alone, 13,000 youth are housed as wards of the state. Rearrest rates for young people in detention and correction facilities range from 77 to 90 percent. The good news is youth corrections librarianship has the potential to improve the situation.
This book fills a gap in the literature on corrections librarianship, which is focused almost solely on adult prisons. Programs for juvenile offenders require significantly more emphasis on education and rehabilitation than adults. There is also greater urgency in delivering needed services to youth offenders. Literacy: A Way Out for At-Risk Youth provides librarians in juvenile detention facilities with tools to face their unique challenges, such as collaborating with corrections staff and encouraging youth to maintain their connection to the library after release. The author's recommendations for reader's advisory, collection development, and other services are geared toward helping teens cope with their problems and develop better decision making skills.