Books Behind Bars: Reading Interests Inside a Corrections Facility

Images of the Reader's Journal cover.

This data visualization represents reading-based data that I collected from an Adult Corrections Facility. The source for the data was a Reader’s Journal that I created for facility residents who volunteered to fill out between 2016 and 2019. Residents who turned in their journals received a library card and had previous library fines waived.

There were over 4200 data points and that I used to explore questions like:

  • What was the frequency of the books that were read?
  • What did residents read?
  • Where did residents get their reading materials?
  • What genres were the most popular?

An analysis revealed fascinating insights into reading preferences and book access patterns. The collection primarily sources books through three channels: the ACF library (49.4%), librarian requests (39.7%), and resident sharing (10.8%), demonstrating a robust system for literary access

Urban fiction dominates the collection, with series like Ashley & JaQuavis’s “The Cartel” (89 entries, perfect 5.0 rating) and K’wan’s “Animal” series (65 entries, 4.8 rating) proving particularly popular. This genre shows the highest average ratings across all categories, suggesting strong reader engagement.

Fiction maintains strong representation through diverse offerings, from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (113 entries) to the Harry Potter series (42 entries). Notable is the high rating of the Twilight series (4.8) despite fewer entries, indicating quality over quantity in reader satisfaction.

Nonfiction selections reflect interests in personal development and social justice, with works like “The 48 Laws of Power” and “The New Jim Crow” maintaining high ratings. Three titles achieved perfect 5.0 ratings: “A Child Called It,” “Behold a Pale Horse,” and “The Way to Love.”

Graphic novels, while representing the smallest category, maintain consistent readership. The Punisher series leads with both highest entry count (15) and rating (4.8), suggesting a preference for complex narratives in visual format.

This data paints a picture of a diverse reading community with strong preferences for urban fiction and series titles, while maintaining engagement across all genres. The high average ratings across categories indicate successful collection development efforts meeting reader interests and needs.

Genre Trends by Source

ACF Library:

  • Strong preference for Fiction (44.5% of ACF library books)
  • Significant Urban Fiction collection (30.2%)
  • Moderate Nonfiction collection (14.8%)
  • Small Graphic Novel collection (10.5%)

Requested from Librarians:

  • Very strong Urban Fiction presence (47.8% of requested books)
  • High Fiction requests (41.2%)
  • Lower Nonfiction requests (8.5%)
  • Minimal Graphic Novel requests (2.5%)

Another Resident:

  • Dominated by Urban Fiction (51.3% of shared books)
  • Moderate Fiction sharing (35.7%)
  • Some Nonfiction sharing (10.1%)
  • Very few Graphic Novel sharing (2.9%)
Top Ten Books by Genre

Fiction (ordered by rating):

  1. “Twilight” series by Stephanie Meyer (26 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  2. “Game of Thrones” series by George R.R. Martin (17 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  3. John Sandford’s Prey series (48 entries, avg rating 4.6)
  4. “The DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown (5 entries, avg rating 4.6)
  5. “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling (42 entries, avg rating 4.5)
  6. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (113 entries, avg rating 4.5)
  7. “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker (4 entries, avg rating 4.5)
  8. Stuart Woods’ various series (52 entries, avg rating 4.4)
  9. “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy (7 entries, avg rating 4.3)
  10. James Patterson’s Alex Cross series (92 entries, avg rating 4.2)

Graphic Novels (ordered by rating):

  1. The Punisher series by Garth Ennis (15 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  2. Bleach manga series (6 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  3. Sandman series by Neil Gaiman (5 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  4. Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai (7 entries, avg rating 4.6)
  5. Dragon Ball series (5 entries, avg rating 4.6)
  6. Hellboy series by Mike Mignola (8 entries, avg rating 4.5)
  7. Deadpool series by various authors (3 entries, avg rating 4.5)
  8. Batman series by Tony Daniel (7 entries, avg rating 4.3)
  9. X-Men series by various authors (5 entries, avg rating 4.2)
  10. John Constantine Hellblazer series (8 entries, avg rating 4.1)

Nonfiction (ordered by rating):

  1. “A Child Called It” by Dave Pelzer (3 entries, avg rating 5.0)
  2. “Behold a Pale Horse” by William Cooper (5 entries, avg rating 5.0)
  3. “The Way to Love” by Anthony DeMello (3 entries, avg rating 5.0)
  4. “48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene (8 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  5. “Running with Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs (6 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  6. Maya Angelou’s autobiographical works (7 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  7. “The Art of Seduction” by Robert Greene (14 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  8. “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander (4 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  9. “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday (7 entries, avg rating 4.6)
  10. “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane” (4 entries, avg rating 4.6)

Urban Fiction (ordered by rating):

  1. “The Cartel” series by Ashley & JaQuavis (89 entries, avg rating 5.0)
  2. Joy Deja King’s “Bitch” series (42 entries, avg rating 4.9)
  3. “Animal” series by K’wan (65 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  4. “The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah (12 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  5. “Flint” series by Treasure Hernandez (9 entries, avg rating 4.8)
  6. “Tears of a Hustler” series by Silk White (38 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  7. Wahida Clark’s “Thug” series (15 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  8. “Murder Mamas” by Ashley & JaQuavis (7 entries, avg rating 4.7)
  9. Kiki Swinson’s “Wifey” series (32 entries, avg rating 4.6)
  10. “Black Scarface” series by Jimmy Dasaint (16 entries, avg rating 4.5)
Infographic from Data

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Why books matter in corrections facilities

“Reading in prison counters the forces of isolation, abandonment, and dehumanization by serving as an opening to other people, ideas, and the world outside the prison. Furthermore, reading generates possibilities for prisoners to reenvision and rescript their lives.”

Megan Sweeney, Reading is My Window