Prison Libraries Act of 2026
New Federal Grants for Prison Libraries
The Prison Libraries Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on the Judiciary for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time, and the bill is waiting for the committee to decide on its next steps.
Legislative Progress
While the bill focuses on reducing crime through education, it currently lacks support from the other party, which makes it hard to pass in a divided Congress.
Key Points
- This bill creates a new grant program to help states and territories build or improve libraries in prisons. The goal is to give people in prison better access to books, technology, and learning tools to help them succeed after they are released.
- Prisons could use the money to buy physical books, e-books, and computers with internet access. It also pays for hiring professional librarians and setting up programs for job training, financial literacy, and even art or music classes.
- Facilities that get this money are not allowed to charge people in prison for using the library, reading books, or using computers. The bill also requires that libraries be designed to be more welcoming and less restrictive when safety allows.
- The program would provide $10 million each year through 2031. To get the money, states must show a clear plan for how they will improve literacy rates and help people find jobs once they leave prison.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Prison Libraries Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(4)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.