Local leaders are working to expand the San Benito County Jail’s
library. Thanks to a donation from the San Benito County Free
Library in December 2008, the San Benito County Jail now has a
carpeted library with a slat wall display for the library’s 300 to
500 books. A jail commander, meanwhile, said such efforts can help
‘plant a seed that will grow’ for the inmates.
HOLLISTER
Thanks to a donation from the San Benito County Free Library in December 2008, the San Benito County Jail now has a carpeted library with a slat wall display for the library’s 300 to 500 books. Many of the books were donated by Morgan Hill-based Community Solutions and can now be displayed on shelves rather than on a cart in the corner.
Jail Commander Edward Escamilla said that even though some inmates may use the library to get out of their jail-life cycle, the library is an opportunity to change people.
“We may be able to plant a seed that will grow, that they will pick up a book and somehow it will change their lives. They may pick something up that will change their life and if that will happen, I’m all for it.”
The current library formerly housed a legal library for inmates interested in representing themselves in court with a simple concrete floor. The county has now contracted with a legal research firm, and the room was used only for religious services and classes, including the Graduation Equivalency Degree program and anger management classes.
With the donation of blue carpet squares, slat wall and acrylic book shelves – all originally from a San Jose City library – and a collection of books, the library has many offerings including self-help books, fiction and non-fiction materials.
Since her arrival at the jail two years ago, Inmate Services Program Manager Astevia Lopez-Bushnell has expanded inmate service as requested by Sheriff Curtis Hill. He asked her to assess the needs for inmate services and found there to be a desire from inmates to have more self-help books. At the time, the jail did have a small collection of books that was stored on a cart but it didn’t match the desire of the inmates.
After working with Friends of the Library – a group within the San Benito County Free Library system that works to expand library services in the county – Lopez-Bushnell could arrange the donation of more used books and periodicals to complement the other books given by local churches and Community Solutions.
“We wanted a variety of books to get the inmates’ attention,” she said.
Along with books, Friends of the Library has also donated more than 20 different magazines to the jail library.
The hope is to convert the once concrete-floored room into a learning classroom and a place that might change inmates. County Librarian Nora Conte said leaders are trying to create “the ambiance of a learning classroom, of a library because every time that you open a book, you open an opportunity for yourself.”
For an expanded version of this story, see Tuesday’s Free Lance.
