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Missouri Department of Corrections Matt Blunt, Governor |
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| Director | Deputy Director | Adult Institutions | Human Services | Probation & Parole | Rehabilitative Services | Missouri Vocational Enterprises |
Missouri's correctional libraries facilitate and support the mission of the Department of Corrections by providing offenders with library services focusing on their educational, recreational, legal and informational needs. Particularly significant in the rehabilitation process, is the library services goal of teaching offender library skills. Library services are administered by the Library Services Supervisor, within the Education Section of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services.
Every correctional library is comprised of a general collection - modeled on public library collections, as well as a collection of legal resources. Librarians assist offenders in solving their informational needs, while training offenders in library usage.
The legal collections meet the requirements established by the Missouri Department of Corrections to provide offender "access to courts" (per US Supreme Court decision in Bounds v. Smith.) Legal reference assistance is free to offenders.
* There are currently 20 correctional libraries in Missouri, operated by DOC librarians, who supervise offender library clerks.
* Offenders check out more than 90,000 books monthly, in addition to using the many non-circulating materials in the library.
* The library services are made available to all offenders, including those in administrative segregation and protective custody.
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