Law Library Service to the Jail: Experiences, challenges, and lessons from providing library services to inmates

摘要

Every other month I visit the Dakota County Jail in Hastings, Minnesota, to serve as a community speaker. The jail houses 250-300 inmates at any given time. Some inmates are awaiting trial; others are serving a sentence. All of the inmates are men. The jail no longer has facilities for women, and female offenders are sent to neighboring Ramsey County. Many of the men are here because of drugs, probation violations, and DWIs. There are a few, however, who have been accused of shocking crimes. Some of these cases make the news. The first thing I notice when I enter through the large metal door is the odor. It's musty and stale inside the jail. It's also uncomfortably warm. I try to remember to dress lightly when I visit. The inmates all dress in lightweight, baggy jumpsuits and plastic slippers. When I am there, there is a protocol. Emily, the jail outreach coordinator, meets me in the lobby. She has the officer in central command buzz open the door. She escorts me to and from the units.