Program Description and History
Second Chance Books, collaboration between the Austin Public Library and Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center, began in the Fall of 2003. The project intended to provide for young people who are in trouble--who need a "second chance"--an opportunity to read for pleasure and, secondarily, to learn about library resources. By the next year a satellite library had been established, using books withdrawn from the collections of the John Henry Faulk Central Library as well as the 20 branch libraries around the City. This library provides a browsing collection for youth incarcerated at Gardner Betts. Subsequent award and grant money has enabled us to extend the collection by purchasing a small number of additional books. The collection consists of fiction and non-fiction volumes, covering a wide range of subjects of high interest to young adults.
Gardner Betts detention center is a short-term facility for arrested minors between the ages of 10 and 17 who are awaiting sentencing before a judge. Infractions, which led to incarceration, range from simple misdemeanors to third degree felonies. The average stay at the facility is 9 days. The Leadership Academy is a sentencing alternative to the Texas Youth Commission. Youth can stay at the Academy for up to 18 months while completing their rehabilitation program. The Academy uses a phased program, in which the juvenile probationers begin in full-time physical custody in a facility, progress to spending part-time in the facility and part-time in their parents’ home, and finally spend full-time in their parents' home, with visits to the facility as mandated by the individual’s probation conditions The one thing these youthful offenders have in common is time: time to think, time to contemplate their situation, and, now, time to read. For many of these children, this is the first time they have ever read a book outside of a school assignment. With the advent of the satellite library collections, Gardner Betts staff has reported an increase in the children's interest in reading, as well as a decrease in interpersonal confrontation.
Library staff visit Gardner Betts twice a month to present book talks, promote reading, and encourage interest in the books. Students are invited to join in discussion about the books, and may request specific items they would like the librarians to bring on their next visit. The relationship between library staff and youth provides additional opportunity for the children to experience positive interaction with adults.
Our goal for the Second Chance Books Project is to create lifelong learners by providing opportunities for incarcerated youth to read, by encouraging discussion about what they have read, and by allowing them to relate to adult professionals within the context of book discussions and appreciation for literature. In fact, the kids who have spent the most days at Gardner-Betts have become our most enthusiastic readers. Some become seriously invested in a particular author and go on to read and discuss all of that author's work. Our hope is that many of the children we meet at Gardner Betts will develop a lifelong reading habit.
By changing the incarcerated children’s perception of reading and literacy, and providing an increased awareness of library resources and services, we are creating possibilities and opportunities--literally, a "second chance"--for youth once they leave Gardner Betts. Many "graduates" do indeed now visit the public library, and read for pleasure. We continue to work within the confines of a limited budget, while pursuing additional sources of funding. Our long-term goal is to ensure the continued growth and evolution of the Second Chance Book Project, to offer more and more children who pass through Gardner Betts a Second Chance.
|
