Big titleOctober 31, 2023
This Tuesday ends the organization’s first Week of Banned Books in Prisons PEN America, which revealed that prison censorship is now the most widespread form of information suppression in the United States. Prisons and jails ban more books than all the schools and libraries in the country combined. Neutral censorship of content has increased. Through these restrictions, jails and prisons force inmates to obtain books from “authorized sellers” and block free and used publications from family and friends. Prison officials also cite sexual and security reasons for censoring scientific and creative literature. This was expressed by Kwaneta Harris, a nurse and writer held in solitary confinement in the state of Texas.
Kwaneta Harris: “This is what Texas considers sexually explicit: a guide to performing a breast self-exam. These are images of our bodies that show us how to take care of ourselves. We are denied books or magazine articles on contraception, menopause and reproductive health in general.
“Devoted organizer. Incurable thinker. Explorer. Tv junkie. Travel buff. Troublemaker.”