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Ban On Books For Prisoners Has Been Uplifted. But Why Did It Exist In The First Place?

Prisoners and their loved ones will be delighted to know that after much trivia, the ban on books for prisoners has now uplifted. In November 2013, The Ministry Of Justice introduced a ban on books being sent to prisoners by their families and friends. How can they hold a title with the word 'justice' in it if what they planned to do, was beyond an injustice to basic human rights.

We often hear people in government and prisons discussing rehabilitation, but the very core of it lies in the education prisoners should receive. Books are an element of education, what is the need to fast prisoners of its magic? Well, The Ministry Of Justice claimed books are considered as perks , which prisoners should be denied. Chris Grayling had appropriated this in a regime to reducing the flow of drugs into prisons. Prisoners were said to have limited access to books, having to utilise their own funds to purchase books and also earn the right to do so. How unfair is that? What we all need to remember is that people are sent to prison as a punishment. The treatment they get inside however, should be appropriate (subject to certain crimes and individuals). With many just about scraping their canteen money, how can they afford the somewhat expensive prices of books? If we can enjoy the privileges of accessing literature for free over a period of time, via a library loan, so should they. How indulgent The Ministry Of Justice are in accepting their mistake with this silly policy is up to them.

Personally, as a massive fan of literature and learning, I encourage others to take up reading and studying, in a bid to become more aware and informed about the world around us. How else will we understand, respect and appreciate each other? Reading allows for one to dip into cultures, worlds, situations, emotions and much more. How someone can even think about limiting a prisoners creative thinking through a ban on books being sent to them is atrocious. Prisoners are at times locked up for 23 hours a day. With this in mind, we have to consider the scope for mental health increase, suicide rates and the decrease in human sanity.  Just think about it for a minute, if for any reason, you became a prisoner, another victim to this killer system, how would you feel knowing you couldn't even enjoy the basic luxury of turning over a page in a book? .. You wouldn't like it would you?

Much like many other policies put at the forefront by those in power, official figures fail to anticipate or try and imagine what effects will be in light for those that are directly involved in being influenced by them.

I really hope prison officials will support the rehabilitation of their prisoners and promote readership. As much as some may detest prisoners, and some may not (I personally know people who have gone to prison for petty crimes), we should remember prisoners are human beings too. These prisoners will all finish their sentence, some may end up being released and living on the opposite road to you. For this reason alone, we need to be mindful of our attitudes towards prisoners.

Consensus can be achieved through solidarity in society. Lets stand up for each other and work together, this world is too small for us to be robbed of each other's influences.

According to The Guardian, 'fifty-five people killed themselves in England and Wales the year before last. Ninety people killed themselves in prison last year'.

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