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Many offers of help: Sanati said she’s received over 300 messages so far from people wanting to get involved. “It was inspiring, it was overwhelming in the best of ways,” she said. “It just showed me that so many people care about this issue.”
Offers have rolled in from, among others, a girl scout troop, retired librarians, and UCLA employees. Sanati said she also received powerful testimonials about the importance of books behind bars.
“People were saying that they were formerly incarcerated, and this was what saved them, or they have a family member who was incarcerated and this was the only thing that kept their person alive,” she said.
The backstory: Sanati secured thousands of books for the jails while she worked there. But after she left her job last year, no one stepped in to keep the project going.
Research shows that many incarcerated people haven’t finished high school and can’t read very well. It also shows that access to books in jail helps build literacy and reduce recidivism.
How to get involved: If you’re interested in donating books or volunteering to help organize a book drive, you can reach out to Ahmanise Sanati on Instagram @ahmanise or email [email protected].
Go deeper: People In LA Jails Need Books. She’s Making It Happen.
What questions do you have about criminal justice in Southern California?
Emily Elena Dugdale covers smaller police departments around Southern California, school safety officers, jails and prisons, and juvenile justice issues. She also covers the LAPD and the L.A. Sheriff’s Department.
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