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Banned books
News
October 18
Many Prisons Restrict Books to Stop Drug Smuggling. Critics Say It Doesn’t Work.
Battling an overdose crisis, more prisons are blocking books based on the sender or packaging. Free speech advocates call it a de facto book ban.
By
Shannon Heffernan
and
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
Investigate Your State
October 3
How to Report on Banned Books in Prisons in Your State
Prisons are among the most restrictive reading environments in the United States.
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Cleveland
June 20
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
Analysis
March 16
5 Things We Learned About Prison Book Ban Policies
We added policies to our searchable database of banned books. Here’s what we’ve found (so far).
The Marshall Project
Graphics
February 23
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.
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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
Keri Blakinger