Library Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions

The 1992 Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions are out of print. The numerical standards listed below are still a good guide for access, staffing, seating and collection for adult correctional institution libraries.

Access

General Population: Day, evening and weekend hours to provide at least five (5) hours per inmate per week in a professionally staffed library.

Limited Access Population—at least one of the following:

  • One hour in library once per week
  • Deposit collection which is the greater of 100 books or two per inmate in unit
  • Book cart with 100 items available weekly
  • List of 300 books and weekly delivery

Staff

Staff to Inmates
Inmate Population Staff Size
301-500 inmates 1 Library Director
1 Library Technician or Clerk
501-1000 inmates 1 Library Director
2 Library Technicians or Clerks
1001-1500 inmates 1 Library Director
1 Assistant Librarian
2 Library Technicians or Clerks
1501-2500 inmates 1 Library Director
1 Assistant Librarian
3 Library Technicians or Clerks

 

Seating

 

Seating
Population Available Seats
301 - 500 inmates 10%
501 - 1000 inmates 50 + 8% of population in excess of 500
over 1000 inmates 90 + 7% of population in excess of 1000

Book Budget

Funds for one hardcover book per inmate (70% of inmate population) per year, plus twenty per cent (20%) for loss.
 

Collection

Collection
Population # Of Titles
Books Greater of 5000 titles or 15 titles per inmate up to maximum of 2,500 inmates
Magazines Greater of 50 titles or one per ten inmates
Newspapers Number based on regions represented by inmate population
Audio Recordings 100 titles plus one per five inmates
Video Recordings Greater of 20 titles or one per thirty inmates

 

Reviewed by the Library Service to the Incarcerated and Detained Interest Group and ASGCLA Staff, March 2020.