The nation's largest book ban: Inside the fight to read in America's prisons

For many people who are incarcerated, a single book can be life-changing – a rare source of freedom and connection in a system built on isolation. That was true for Cherish Burtson, who discovered during her time in federal prison that reading could be a source of survival. Books became her escape, her education and a starting point to rebuild her life. But getting books behind bars isn't easy. Across the United States, correctional systems routinely ban or reject thousands of titles each year, reflecting deeper struggles over punishment, control and compassion. According to PEN America,  correctional facilities in all 50 states contribute to the nation's largest book ban, censoring more books than schools and libraries combined. This episode follows a group of San Diego volunteers working to get books past prison walls. It explores how the simple act of reading can restore a sense of humanity in even the harshest conditions — and what it says about who we are when we decide who gets to read.

Guests:

• Cherish Burtson, substance use disorders counselor at Family Health Centers of San Diego
• Moira Marquis, Freewrite project senior manager at PEN America
• terry vargas, Books Through Bars San Diego volunteer

Sources:

• United States Incarceration Profile (Prison Policy Initiative)
• Incarceration Trends (Vera, 2024)
• Women’s Pathways to Serious and Habitual Crime: A Person-Centered Analysis Incorporating Gender Responsive Factors (Tim Brennan, Markus Breitenbach, William Dieterich, Emily J. Salisbury and Patricia van Voorhis Notes, Criminal Justice and Behavior via Sage Journals, 2012)
• East Bay Federal Prison Plagued by Sex Abuse Scandal Will Close Permanently (KQED, 2024)
• Time-In-Cell: A 2021 Snapshot of Restrictive Housing based on a Nationwide Survey of U.S. Prison Systems (The Correctional Leaders Association & The Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law at Yale Law School, 2022)
• COVID-19 Timeline (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)
• Three State Prison Oversight During the COVID-19 Pandemic (John Howard Association of Illinois, the Correctional Association of New York and the Pennsylvania Prison Society, 2021)
• Groundwork Books Collective (Idealist)
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