HR7247-119

What This Bill Does

The Prison Libraries Act of 2026 directs the Attorney General to establish, within one year, a grant program for eligible State and territory applicants to provide library services to incarcerated individuals for reintegration, recidivism reduction, and educational opportunity. Applications must include a comprehensive plan with objectives, program design, and evaluation; proof of an existing correctional facility library or intent to create one; and demographic and need data such as education levels, recidivism rates, socioeconomic data, or other relevant information. Funds can support education and job training, modern materials and equipment, less restrictive and more welcoming library spaces, qualified librarians, digital literacy, career readiness, civic engagement, restorative justice, resident-led programs, health and wellness, cultural programming, internet and computer access, book discussions, English classes, accessible materials, eBooks, donation programs, multimedia, arts programming, financial literacy, family literacy during visits, resource fairs, and public-library partnerships. Funds cannot be used for food, clothing, hygiene supplies, unrelated salaries, medical care, transportation, unrelated staff training, general prison administration, non-library maintenance, law library obligations, or unrelated uses. DOJ must prioritize applicants using library standards, postsecondary curricula, measurable literacy, graduation, skills, and employment goals, broad initiatives, geographic diversity, and urban-rural diversity. Grants last one year and can be renewed up to six total years; grantees report annual performance and expenditures; incarcerated individuals cannot be charged for core library resources; and $10 million is authorized annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031.

Who Benefits and How

Incarcerated individuals, prison library users, correctional educators, qualified librarians, public libraries, postsecondary education providers, job-training programs, restorative justice programs, and families participating in prison visits benefit from federal grants for books, eBooks, audiobooks, computers, internet access, accessible materials, English classes, career programming, financial literacy, family literacy, arts, and library partnerships. States and territories benefit from funds to build or improve correctional library services.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Attorney General, DOJ grant staff, State corrections departments, territory corrections departments, correctional facility administrators, grantees, prison library staff, and federal taxpayers must manage applications, eligibility, procurement, usage restrictions, priority criteria, performance systems, annual reports, no-fee rules, postsecondary access, renewals, and six-year funding limits. Facilities cannot divert grant funds to general prison operations or required law libraries.

Key Provisions

• Creates DOJ grants for prison library services to support reintegration, recidivism reduction, and education.
• Requires applicants to submit plans, library proof or creation intent, and demographic need data.
• Allows funds for education, job training, librarians, accessible materials, computers, internet, language services, arts, family literacy, and public-library partnerships.
• Prohibits uses unrelated to library services, including food, clothing, medical care, transportation, general administration, and required law libraries.
• Prioritizes applicants with standards-based library management, postsecondary programming, measurable impact plans, broad initiatives, and geographic diversity.
• Requires annual performance and expenditure reporting and prohibits fees for core library resources.
• Authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031.