Impact summary
Following the my engagement as an advisor to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Philippine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology with a focus on how libraries in jails can be established and managed, 13 Philippine prisons have gone ahead and achieved this inclusion of libraries for their inmates for the first time. The availability of books and the opportunity to read them has allowed the Philippine government to offer a time reduction on inmate sentences for prisoners who choose to read and engage in literacy training using the books from the new libraries.Research and engagement activities leading to impact
I spent a week in the Philippines in March 2023 at the request of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime who were supporting the Philippine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. I was invited to advise the Bureau regarding the value of libraries and reading in the lives of prisoners, and to assist in the development and implementation of the 13 new libraries.Research outputs associated with the impact
I was identified as an international expert in the area of books, libraries and reading in prisons through my publications on the topic. These include the following:Garner, J. (Ed.) (2021). Exploring the roles and practices of libraries in prisons: International perspectives. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. (ISBN: 978180043861; 334 pages)
Garner, J. (2021). Exploring Juvenile Justice Facility Library Provision in Australia and South Carolina, USA. In J. Garner (Ed.), Exploring the Roles and Practices of Libraries in Prisons: International Perspectives: Emerald Publishing Limited.
Garner, J. (2023) The information needs and practices of Australian adult prisoners. Journal of Librarianship & Information Science. (Published online ahead of print, 2023). DOI: 10.1177/09610006231179521
Garner, J. (2020). Experiencing time in prison: The influence of books, libraries and reading. Journal of Documentation, 76(5), 1033-1050.
Researcher involvement
I was invited to assist the project as an expert advisor. I spent a week working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Philippine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology sharing my research findings through a number of presentations and through facilitating large 'break out groups'. Staff from these organisations had come together to learn about the role of libraries in prisons and about the logistics required to make them operate smoothly in the environments that they were going into. I was taken into a male and female jail in Manila to see a typical environment where the libraries would be operating.Outcomes of research leading to impact
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have supported the Philippine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to establish new libraries into 13 prisons across the Philippines. There are calls from the remaining prisons to also receive a library for their inmates. Staff at the 13 prisons have used the International Federation of Library and Information Associations and Institutions Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners that I published recently to guide them in the establishment of these libraries.Beneficiaries of the impact
Inmates at 13 prisons in the Philippines and inmates of all other Philippine prisons who will be receiving new libraries. There are 181,000 people incarcerated in Philppine prisons.Details of the impact achieved
All prisoners in Philippine jails will all have access to libraries, reading and an opportunity to take advantage of the opportunity to reduce their sentence time through engaging with the libraries. Currently 13 jails now have libraries and books for the first time due to the work of this project. The Philippine justice system allows for a reduction of sentences for inmates who engage with reading, learning and mentoring of others. Prior to this project, inmates were unable to take advantage of this provision as there were no libraries or books available to them. Due to the work of the program in which I am involved, prisoners at 13 prisons are now able to take advantage of this provision to return home sooner. Philippine jails operate at a congestion rate of around 400%, so the capacity to move inmates out of the jails sooner provides a benefit to the individuals, but also to the conditions in which the remaining inmates live.Impact date | Mar 2023 |
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Category of impact | Social Impact, Quality of life Impact |
Impact level | International |
Keywords
- Prison libraries
- Philippines
- Corrections
- Prisons
Countries where impact occurred
- Philippines
Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Related content
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Activities
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International Federation of Library and Information Associations and Institutions Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners
Activity: Engagement case studies › Industry
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Read Your Way Out: Advancing prison reform through libraries for lifelong learning in places of detention
Activity: Engagement case studies › Government
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Research Outputs
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Exploring juvenile justice facility library provision in Australian and South Carolina, USA
Research output: Book chapter/Published conference paper › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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Exploring the roles and practices of libraries in prisons: International perspectives
Research output: Book/Report › Edited book › peer-review
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Experiencing time in prison: The influence of books, libraries and reading
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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The information needs and practices of Australian adult prisoners
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review