Breaking Barriers Behind Bars

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Since August 2016, Chesterfield County Public Library (CCPL) and the Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home (CJDH) have collaborated to provide learning opportunities for and cultivate relationships with CJDH’s teen residents. As part of the program “Breaking Barriers Behind Bars,” librarians assist those at-risk teens with cultivating new interests to replace problem behaviors. During weekly visits, librarians engage with incarcerated teens through educational programming and one-on-one sessions to help them learn about new topics and work on job applications. Additionally, a book discussion series supported by an American Library Association (ALA) and National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) grant, provides the teens with opportunities to read about and discuss the underlying factors and mental health issues linked to violence and suicide. By visiting the CJDH, librarians develop relationships with detained teens so the teens came make a connection with their local library and continue to rely on it as a trusted learning resource after their release from detention. These outreach programs have resulted in librarians working individually with more than 20 detention home residents. The partnership continues to strengthen as student demand for librarian consultations increase and CCPL identifies additional staff members to work with teens at the detention home.