Hard-cover survival

>> Canada's prisoners find getting books can be tough

by CRAIG SEGAL

Separated from the real world, Canada's 13,000 prisoners have to work hard to stay physically and mentally healthy. They excercise and write letters to family and friends on the outside. But for some prisoners a good book can be the only thing keeping them sane.

In a widely distributed photocopy pack called Survivors Manual, produced by American human rights groups, prisoners write tips on keeping healthy in prison: "And most importantly read!" writes prisoner D.A.S. "Especially books which further one's knowledge. I am one who discourages those that fill one's time on 'junk novels' and encourages subjects like politics, science, poetry, how-to books and reference publications. In all, if you want to survive that long-term isolation, the mind and body need to continually be fully active."

But such books are not easy to come by. "People often don't have the tools for self-empowerment," says Lise Kuhn, a 25-year-old political science student and cofounder of the Montreal chapter of Books to Prisoners, a volunteer organization connected with the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Concordia. Kuhn says many prisoners are missing books they desperately need on subjects like politics, self-empowerment and culture.

"We prioritize political requests because they are the hardest to send to prisoners," says Kuhn. "We want to support prisoners who want to be politicized or want to further their political knowledge. But if someone takes the time to request a specific book we want to respect that."

Kuhn says Canadians support the idea of sending books to prisoners. "It's one issue about prisons that people get behind. I've seen little ladies sending bibles. Canadians see it as a charitable thing."

Kuhn's got a point. In April, the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival in Montreal donated the 1,200 books submitted to the contest to prison libraries. It took Books to Prisoners three years to donate the same amount. Although the Festival's gesture sounds nice, it's not clear how many books made it to prison libraries. That's because donating a book is harder than it seems: the donor must first communicate with the prison librarian to see whether he will accept a specific book or book list. When Kuhn sends a book to a prisoner she includes a receipt in it with payment written at $0. This way the book's value will not be added to a prisoner's possessions.

Library rules

Canada's 13,000 prisoners are allowed no more than $2,500 worth of valuables in their cells. So a $30 tome may not be possible, especially if the prisoner has a decent computer, TV, or stereo in his cell.

There is currently a hot debate about computers; prisoners are not allowed Internet connections and run into trouble when online courses require them.

"It's a question of security. There is a lot of information that is banned," says Sonja Ellefsen, of Corrections Services Canada, referring to hate literature or programs which make it possible for a prisoner to commit fraud from behind prison walls. As for pornography, the librarian has discretionary powers to censor what he deems too racy for the prison populace.

The Centre Federal Formation (CFF) is a minimum-security federal prison whose 400 prisoners stay two years to life. The prison library is open an average of four hours per day on weekdays. From the prison library prisoners may take out "a maximum of three books and three magazines for two weeks," according to a copy of library rules faxed to the Mirror. All book orders and books received go through 49-year-old prison guard turned librarian Jean-Pierre Trépanier. The married father of two says prisoners are generally pleased with his 17,000 books.

Trépanier says prisoners' family members are far less satisfied, however, because all books they mail directly to prisoners are returned to them. "Sometimes families just don't know how it works," says Trépanier. "We take donations, but not from families. That way we know for sure there is nothing in the books." Because of fear of drugs like acid or messages concealed within the pages, most of Canada's 52 penitentiaries do not allow books to be sent directly to prisoners.

If a prisoner wants to order a book he must pay cover price, and that is not always easy. Prisoners who work at prison jobs are paid $5.85 to $7 a day. Pierre, a CFF prisoner and library worker, was sentenced to life because "a murder happened in 1976." Pierre earns $62.50 every two weeks. The chain smoker says almost all his earnings go back into the prison canteen to buy cigarettes, food, clothes, and other necessities. So a brand-new hardcover is out of the question. "There are many books I would like to read, but the library won't put money down on a book I want."

Books to Prisoners is currently seeking books in languages other than English and French, and is always after dictionaries and thesauruses. They can be reached at bookstoprisoners@excite.com or call at 848-7585.