Exploring juvenile justice facility library provision in Australian and South Carolina, USA

The aim of this chapter is to explore the provision of libraries to children convicted of criminal acts and sentenced to a period of incarceration in juvenile justice facilities. The chapter introduces the existing international literature and research that is available on the topic, then explores the current Australian context through a recent study of the national provision of libraries in Australian juvenile justice facilities. The provision of libraries to young people living in corrective custody is then exemplified through a description of the library at Birchwood School in South Carolina, USA - an example of best-practice and finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the need for libraries in juvenile justice facilities and the potential they can play in the lives the young people they serve.