Ithaka s+r will examine the national landscape of legal information access for people who are incarcerated, as well as the current state of law librarianship in facilitating law access for the…

This $303,386 Project Grant awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the National Leadership Grants for Museums (CFDA 45.312) program will fund a 2-year project by Ithaka Harbors Inc. to examine the national landscape of legal information access for incarcerated individuals. The project will investigate service models used by Departments of Corrections to comply with legal requirements to provide access to legal information, evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches, and assess how law librarians can facilitate access to the law for system-impacted communities. The research aims to identify best practices and outcomes regarding structural models for accessing legal information and coordinating services and training to improve equity in access and use. The findings will help improve access to the law and legal information among incarcerated and justice-impacted populations.

Ithaka s+r will examine the national landscape of legal information access for people who are incarcerated, as well as the current state of law librarianship in facilitating law access for the justice-impacted population. The grant will investigate what service models departments of corrections use to comply with their statutory obligation to provide access to legal information to incarcerated persons; how these models compare, and which are most effective; how law librarians facilitate access to the law for system-impacted individuals and communities; and what training and resources are needed to support law librarians in providing effective and equitable services. The project seeks to improve access to the law and legal information among people who are incarcerated, as well as communities impacted by the legal system. The project will result in information on best practices and outcomes regarding: 1) structural models for accessing and using legal information and resources; and 2) coordinating services and training to maximize equity in access and use.