[Prodev] Moderated listserv on law library services to prison
ers
Von Der Heide, Connie
prodev@aallnet.org
Mon, 6 Jan 2003 11:53:39 -0600
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Good day. I'm Connie Von Der Heide, with the Wisconsin State Law Library
(WSLL) in Madison.
To my knowledge each of Wisconsin's 19 adult institutions has its own
library and librarian, and the Dept. of Corrections employs a full time
library services consultant (who is a librarian) to assist them. Therefore,
many inmates can find what they need or get library assistance onsite. When
they can't, their requests end up at one of several different agencies.
If the inmate decides to send a letter him or herself, it most likely ends
up here at WSLL. We receive in the neighborhood of 4-5 written requests per
week, including some from prisoners in out-of-state facilities under
contract with Wis. to help alleviate our overcrowding problem. Staff of the
Milwaukee Legal Resource Center, which is located in the Milwaukee County
Courthouse and which we manage under contract with Milw. Co., also forward
to us any requests they receive from either state prisoners or area jail
inmates. Those amount to perhaps 1 or 2 per month. All of these requests
run the gamut from a copy of a particular court opinion not available at the
institution library, to asking for what amounts to legal advice and counsel.
A part time library assistant, who happens to have an MLS, assists me in
responding to all of these requests. We respond as quickly as possible,
usually within just a few days.
This same library assistant also works at the Dane County Law Library (DCLL)
here in Madison, which we also manage under contract with Dane County. DCLL
has in place an excellent reference service for the inmates of the Dane
County Jail (sorry, don't know the population but it's always at or above
capacity). Each week a jail staff person delivers to the library any
requests for books or photocopies for the library asst. to fill. I think
requests typically number in the 30-40 per week range. By using the
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access database (publicly available on the Web at
http://ccap.courts.state.wi.us/internetcourtaccess/), the lib. asst. can
usually determine whether the request matches the inmate's offense, a
criterion for filling it. (Some inmates send numerous requests, so the lib.
asst. also gets to know over time what is related and what's not.) Inmates
can receive up to 50 photocopies per week (paid by the county), and can
borrow I believe 1 book at a time from the designated DCLL Jail Collection.
When the library asst. has finished filling all the requests, typically
within 1-2 days of receipt, she delivers them to the jail and the jail staff
distribute the materials. I am not certain exactly how other Wisconsin
counties serve the legal information needs of their inmates. Most counties
have a law library in one form or another, but only the two we manage have
their own staff. I think some counties contract with a local public library.
Other agencies that serve state inmates include the Reference & Loan Library
(R&LL), an agency of the state Dept. of Public Instruction and Wisconsin's
statewide library resource center. R&LL's primary function is serving as the
"last resort" for interloan and subject reference requests. Thru an
arrangement between R&LL and Dept. of Corrections, the state prison
librarians routinely forward requests they can't fill on to R&LL. I believe
the University of Wisconsin Law School Library also gets some inmate
reference requests. The UW Law School operates a Legal Assistance to
Institutionalized Persons (LAIP) service, which I'm sure is inundated with
requests and does take on some cases, and to which we sometimes refer
inmates who request help that's above and beyond what we can give. LAIP and
some of the other legal clinics at UW Law School are, to my knowledge, the
only ones that actually visit inmates. I am not certain whether any of the
clinics teach inmates legal research or writing, but I haven't heard that
they do.
I look forward to hearing what other state and university law libraries do
to assist prisoners, and I'm also interested in what county law libraries
and/or jail library services do for county inmates.
Thanks.
Connie
************************************
Connie Von Der Heide
Reference/Outreach Services Librarian
Wisconsin State Law Library
608-267-2202
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<TITLE>RE: [Prodev] Moderated listserv on law library services to =
prisoners</TITLE>
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<BODY>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Good day. I'm Connie Von Der Heide, with the =
Wisconsin State Law Library (WSLL) in Madison. </FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>To my knowledge each of Wisconsin's 19 adult =
institutions has its own library and librarian, and the Dept. of =
Corrections employs a full time library services consultant (who is a =
librarian) to assist them. Therefore, many inmates can find what =
they need or get library assistance onsite. When they can't, their =
requests end up at one of several different agencies. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>If the inmate decides to send a letter him or =
herself, it most likely ends up here at WSLL. We receive in the =
neighborhood of 4-5 written requests per week, including some from =
prisoners in out-of-state facilities under contract with Wis. to help =
alleviate our overcrowding problem. Staff of the Milwaukee Legal =
Resource Center, which is located in the Milwaukee County Courthouse =
and which we manage under contract with Milw. Co., also forward to us =
any requests they receive from either state prisoners or area jail =
inmates. Those amount to perhaps 1 or 2 per month. All of these =
requests run the gamut from a copy of a particular court opinion not =
available at the institution library, to asking for what amounts to =
legal advice and counsel. A part time library assistant, =
who happens to have an MLS, assists me in responding to all of these =
requests. We respond as quickly as possible, usually within just a few =
days. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>This same library assistant also works at the Dane =
County Law Library (DCLL) here in Madison, which we also manage under =
contract with Dane County. DCLL has in place an excellent reference =
service for the inmates of the Dane County Jail (sorry, don't know the =
population but it's always at or above capacity). Each week a =
jail staff person delivers to the library any requests for books or =
photocopies for the library asst. to fill. I think requests =
typically number in the 30-40 per week range. By using the =
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access database (publicly available on the Web =
at <A HREF=3D"http://ccap.courts.state.wi.us/internetcourtaccess/" =
TARGET=3D"_blank">http://ccap.courts.state.wi.us/internetcourtaccess/</A=
>), the lib. asst. can usually determine whether the request matches =
the inmate's offense, a criterion for filling it. (Some inmates send =
numerous requests, so the lib. asst. also gets to know over time what =
is related and what's not.) Inmates can receive up to 50 photocopies =
per week (paid by the county), and can borrow I believe 1 book at a =
time from the designated DCLL Jail Collection. When the library asst. =
has finished filling all the requests, typically within 1-2 days of =
receipt, she delivers them to the jail and the jail staff distribute =
the materials. I am not certain exactly how other Wisconsin =
counties serve the legal information needs of their inmates. Most =
counties have a law library in one form or another, but only the two we =
manage have their own staff. I think some counties contract with a =
local public library.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Other agencies that serve state inmates include the =
Reference & Loan Library (R&LL), an agency of the state =
Dept. of Public Instruction and Wisconsin's statewide library resource =
center. R&LL's primary function is serving as the "last =
resort" for interloan and subject reference requests. Thru an =
arrangement between R&LL and Dept. of Corrections, the state prison =
librarians routinely forward requests they can't fill on to R&LL. I =
believe the University of Wisconsin Law School Library also gets some =
inmate reference requests. The UW Law School operates a Legal =
Assistance to Institutionalized Persons (LAIP) service, which I'm sure =
is inundated with requests and does take on some cases, and to which we =
sometimes refer inmates who request help that's above and beyond what =
we can give. LAIP and some of the other legal clinics at UW Law School =
are, to my knowledge, the only ones that actually visit inmates. I am =
not certain whether any of the clinics teach inmates legal research or =
writing, but I haven't heard that they do.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>I look forward to hearing what other state and =
university law libraries do to assist prisoners, and I'm also =
interested in what county law libraries and/or jail library services do =
for county inmates.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Thanks.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Connie</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>************************************ </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Connie Von Der Heide </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Reference/Outreach Services Librarian </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Wisconsin State Law Library </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>608-267-2202 </FONT>
</P>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2> </FONT>
</P>
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