Earlier this month, we highlighted former jail health care worker Ahmanise Sanati’s efforts to get books behind bars. Now, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has passed a motion asking the Sheriff’s Department to report back on ways to make books available.
The motion was co-sponsored by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger. It noted that in recent weeks, the Sheriff’s Department has begun to assess the jails for opportunities to install bookshelves and revive both its book donation programs and a pilot program to get reading tablets into cells.
The motion requests that the department report to the board in 90 days with:
Before the board voted on the motion Tuesday, Barger said she hadn't been aware that Hunter's Library is no longer in operation. She said she was "disappointed but not surprised that the ... prior Sheriff [Alex Villanueva] decided I guess to remove it from the jails.”
Sanati secured thousands of books for the jails while she worked there. But after she left her job last year, no one stepped in to keep the project going.
Research shows many incarcerated people haven’t finished high school and can’t read very well. It also shows that access to books in jail helps build literacy and reduce recidivism.
If you’re interested in donating books or volunteering to help organize a book drive, you can reach out to Ahmanise Sanati on Instagram @ahmanise or email libraryproject.lacountyjail@gmail.com.
This story was updated on Feb. 28, 2023 with the results of the board vote.
