I used to be a volunteer teacher for a 3-hour weekly class in a local prison.
One of the things this article misses is that gangs – which are especially active in prison systems – use books to pass ciphered messages. Highlighting, underlining, dogeared corners, scratched out characters, etc. are used prolifically as encoded messages that would appear to be regular wear to a casual observer. The "tradecraft" these guys employ is amazing (albeit for a horrible purpose). We were allowed to have books shipped directly from publishers or known third-party entities (e.g., Amazon) and there was a request form an instructor could fill to add new approved vendors.
All that to say, I understand the policy, even though it's not ideal for those honestly wanting to read. It's hard for most people to imagine but a lot of the people in prison are some seriously bad dudes, and there are real cases of warring gangs orchestrating "hits" on other gang members through innocuous looking content.
One of the things this article misses is that gangs – which are especially active in prison systems – use books to pass ciphered messages. Highlighting, underlining, dogeared corners, scratched out characters, etc. are used prolifically as encoded messages that would appear to be regular wear to a casual observer. The "tradecraft" these guys employ is amazing (albeit for a horrible purpose). We were allowed to have books shipped directly from publishers or known third-party entities (e.g., Amazon) and there was a request form an instructor could fill to add new approved vendors.
All that to say, I understand the policy, even though it's not ideal for those honestly wanting to read. It's hard for most people to imagine but a lot of the people in prison are some seriously bad dudes, and there are real cases of warring gangs orchestrating "hits" on other gang members through innocuous looking content.