Ohio prisons allow Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' but ban books about penal reform: report

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) has denied prisoners access to books such as a U.S. Army survival manual, computer programming guides, prison abolition literature and a book about imprisoned drug lord El Chapo. But among the books that are allowed is Hitler's "Mein Kampf," The Marshall Project reported.

People in the prison system, as well as authors and non-profits, say the criteria behind which books are allowed and which are not is vague and overly broad, with prison systems being inconsistent when it comes to enforcing the rules.

Books sent to Ohio prisoners are first screened by employees who decide whether to approve a book or to send it to a managing officer who then decides whether to release the book to the recipient or send a note explaining why the book was rejected. Department spokesperson JoEllen Smith said that a book only ends up on the department’s list if the person who was prevented from receiving the book appeals to the Publications Screening Committee. The Marshall Project's report stated, "If the recipient didn’t appeal the decision to the committee, the rejected title doesn’t show up on the prison department’s list of banned material."

Of the 293 banned books, 20 of them don't cite a specific reason they were flagged by the department's policy, only that they are harmful to rehabilitation and prison discipline. Ten of the 20 banned books were about computers and electronics.

Read the full report over at The Marshall Project.