The full title is:

> Arkansas inmates restricted from receiving physical books, other media directly under new policy

The article is from December 2025, and the policy takes effect on February 1, 2026.

Compared to mail, prison staff might be a much more common source of contraband in prisons [1].

Reading can reduce recidivism [2]. Taking inspiration from John F. Kennedy [3], I'd say that those who make prison rehabilitation impossible will make preventable recidivism inevitable.

[1] https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/10/18/prison-drugs-o...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changing_Lives_Through_Literat...

[3] https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-first-...

For the sake of comparison, see Brazil’s Bolsonaro finds novel way to reduce 27-year sentence: reading books. [1]

[1]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/16/brazil-jair-bo...