Arkansas inmates restricted from receiving physical books, other media directly(arkansasadvocate.com)
32 pointsby hn_acker4 hours ago7 comments
  • hn_acker4 hours ago
    Compared to mail, prison staff might be a much more common source of contraband in prisons [1].

    Reading can reduce recidivism [2]. Taking inspiration from John F. Kennedy [3], I'd say that those who make prison rehabilitation impossible will make preventable recidivism inevitable.

    [1] https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/10/18/prison-drugs-o...

    [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changing_Lives_Through_Literat...

    [3] https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-first-...

  • treetalker3 hours ago
    For the sake of comparison, see Brazil’s Bolsonaro finds novel way to reduce 27-year sentence: reading books. [1]

    [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/16/brazil-jair-bo...

  • Ancapistanian hour ago
    I live in Arkansas, and both know people have been in the state prison system and have family that work in it.

    This didn't come out of nowhere. Book and letters have both been used in the past to smuggle in drugs - including soaking the paper in liquids and then extracting them or using them directly inside.

    • OutOfHere36 minutes ago
      Maybe the specific solvent liquids are more of the problem there than the books.
      • jdkee33 minutes ago
        Likely water.
  • hn_acker4 hours ago
    The full title is:

    > Arkansas inmates restricted from receiving physical books, other media directly under new policy

    The article is from December 2025, and the policy takes effect on February 1, 2026.

  • kazinator2 hours ago
    > in order to tamp down on contraband being smuggled into prisons.

    You can thumb flip through 300 pages in under a second to see that there is nothing in there.

  • blindriver2 hours ago
    They still have access to the prison library. It's only about receiving direct books and magazines.
    • strikingan hour ago
      > Critics say such restrictions, however, severely limit access for people in prison to reading materials since the offerings in prison libraries and on prison-issued tablets can be limited or outdated.
      • airstrikean hour ago
        Sounds like there's a very easy solution to the problem
        • striking28 minutes ago
          Yeah. Restoring their rights.
  • Hnrobert422 hours ago
    This is a pretty common restriction.
    • greenburger2 hours ago
      This restriction appears to go beyond most other state level policies in the US.

      > This is the strictest ban on sending reading material to prisons in the country. Advocates worry this will launch similar efforts nationwide. [0]

      [0] https://bookriot.com/arkansas-prison-book-ban/

      • peytonan hour ago
        “Advocates worry”

        What are we talking about here? Who are these advocates and why should I listen to their worries over prison personnel?

        • electroglyph29 minutes ago
          Treating prisoners humanely and preparing them to resume a productive life after prison helps us all.
    • tecleandor2 hours ago
      Although that doesn't make it good.