York Correctional Institution

January 2007

York Correctional Institution (York CI) is the only state level prison for women in Connecticut and currently houses over 1,300 women ranging in age from 14 to more than 60 years of age. The library at York serves as a place for studying, job searches and personal reading. The library maintains both fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers, and magazines. Additionally the women can type letters and resumes as well as do their homework. The library is open to the entire population. It is located in the school, so many of the women who use the library are also students.

The library facilitates many programs to provide education, self-help, personal growth and support to the women at York CI. One of the many programs facilitated through the library are book clubs. Currently, York CI has three book clubs. They are very popular with waiting lists in excess of a year. The women simply never want to drop out of the book club unless they are released. In the past five years women in the book clubs have read more than 50 books. Many books are from best selling authors like Wally Lamb, John Grisham, Toni Morrison and John Searles. Some have even been Pulitzer Prize winners, like the Known World, The Shipping News, The Hours and Empire Falls.

The book clubs choose from a limited collection of titles as finding multiple copies are a challenge. We are always in need of good quality books for the women to read. If any of your members are interested in donating books to the library book club program, we would be greatly appreciative.