Library Connections at the Salt Lake County Jail

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Salt Lake County Library has two branches located in Salt Lake County Jail facilities, with a staff of 6.25 FTE serving the roughly 2,000 daily residents of the Jail. The library houses a collection of 45,000 items, offers customized book checkouts to each individual, provides reference, and offers monthly self-directed programming. The library participates in the Jail’s Life Skills program, offering six hours of classes to help incarcerated individuals become familiar with resources that can help them be more successful post-incarceration. In the class, library staff ensure participants have a library card that is cleared of fines or fees and understand resources that are available at branches. They are encouraged to share information about the library with family members to further increase their familiarity with the library’s resources, but also to increase the individual’s likelihood of success after Jail. The library shares case studies of others who have had success after being released, and teach neurographic art as a coping and reflecting skill. Library staff also connect with new Jail officers to teach them about the library, why the library is a key partner at the Jail, and why the library benefits them in addition to those incarcerated.