"New Jersey Prison Libraries Act"; establishes "Prison Libraries Fund" and appropriates $1 million.

S4232

SENATE, No. 4232

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� �New Jersey Prison Libraries Act�; establishes
�Prison Libraries Fund� and appropriates $1 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing the �Prison Libraries Fund� to provide
library services to incarcerated individuals, supplementing Title 30 of the
Revised Statutes, and appropriating $1 million.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1. This act shall be known and
may be cited as the "New Jersey Prison Libraries Act."

���� 2. a. There is established in
the Department of Corrections a special, non-lapsing fund to be known as the
�Prison Libraries Fund.�

���� b. The fund shall be
administered by the department and shall be credited with monies appropriated
thereto by section 3 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill), and other monies as may be appropriated or otherwise
made available for that purpose.� All interest earned on monies in the fund
shall be credited to the fund.

���� c. The department shall use
the funds to provide library materials, programs, resources, and services to
incarcerated individuals.

���� (1) The department may use
monies in the fund for the following materials and resources:

���� (a) hiring librarians and
staff to manage the libraries and to make reasonable efforts towards building a
working relationship with local public libraries, including the adoption of
standardized guidelines for library management, sharing of resources and
materials through an interlibrary loan agreement, and implementation of
coordinated organized events and activities including the management of book
donation programs and other in-kind gifts from private sources, including but
not limited to non-governmental, non-profit, educational, or charitable
entities or institutions;

���� (b) expansion of the
infrastructure of prison libraries to be less restrictive, as safety allows,
and more welcoming with design and d�cor;

���� (c) computers, including
laptops, and Internet access to the extent permitted by department regulations;

���� (d) acquisition of modern
materials and equipment that reflect the interests, identities, abilities, and
languages spoken within the prison population;

���� (e) audiobooks and accessible
reading materials for the visually impaired and print disabled;

���� (f) digital literary materials,
including electronic books; and

���� (g) audio and visual materials
or multimedia.

���� (2) The department may use
monies in the fund for the following programs and services:

���� (a) education and job
training;

���� (b) literary training,
including digital literacy training;

���� (c) career readiness training;

���� (d) civic engagement,
restorative justice, and resident-led programming;

���� (e) health and wellness
activities;

���� (f) cultural exchange and
appreciation programs, events, and activities;

���� (g) book discussion programs;

���� (h) language services,
including free English classes;

���� (i) education and job
training;

���� (j) artistic programming such
as painting, creative writing, poetry slams, drama, or music;

���� (k) financial literacy;

���� (l) family literacy activities
facilitated during in-person visits; and

���� (m) resource fairs.

���� d. The department may not use
monies in the fund for the following:

���� (1) food, clothes, shoes, or
hygiene supplies;

���� (2) payment of employee salary
and benefits not associated with a prison library;

���� (3) medical and mental health
care for incarcerated individuals;

���� (4) transportation of
incarcerated individuals;

���� (5) staff training unrelated
to library services;

���� (6) general administrative
functions or operations of the prison;

���� (7) facility maintenance aside
from the libraries;

���� (8) other obligations imposed
by law, including establishment or maintenance of a law library; and

���� (9) any other use unrelated to
library services, resources, and management.

���� 3. a. There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Department of Corrections the sum of $1 million
for deposit in the �Prison Libraries Fund� to effectuate the purposes and
objectives of this act, P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).

���� b. The Commissioner of
Corrections is authorized to receive gifts, grants, or other financial
assistance from private sources, including but not limited to non-governmental
non-profit, educational, or charitable entities or institutions, or from
federal funds for the purpose of funding or reimbursing the Department of
Corrections for the costs associated with establishing or maintaining the
materials, programs, resources, and services provide for pursuant to subsection
c. of section 2 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.� ������) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill); provided however, that any monies received from
those gifts, grants, or other financial assistance shall be deposited in the
fund established pursuant to subsection a. of section of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.�������
) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 4. This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the �New
Jersey Prison Libraries Act.�

���� Under the bill, a special,
non-lapsing fund to be known as the �Prison Libraries Fund� is created in the
Department of Corrections (department) to provide library materials, programs,
resources, and services to incarcerated individuals.� The department may only
use the funds for the library materials, programs, resources, and services enumerated
in the bill.

���� The department may not use the
fund for:

���� (1) food, clothes, shoes, or
hygiene supplies;

���� (2) payment of employee salary
and benefits not associated with a prison library;

���� (3) medical and mental health
care for incarcerated individuals;

���� (4) transportation of
incarcerated individuals;

���� (5) staff training unrelated
to library services;

���� (6) general administrative
functions or operations of the prison;

���� (7) facility maintenance aside
from the libraries;

���� (8) other obligations imposed
by law, including establishment or maintenance of a law library; and

���� (9) any other use unrelated to
library services, resources, and management.

���� The bill appropriates $1
million from the General Fund to the Department of Corrections for deposit in
the �Prison Libraries Fund� to effectuate the purposes and objectives of the
bill.� The bill authorizes the department to receive gifts, grants, or other
financial assistance from private sources, including but not limited to
non-governmental non-profit, educational, or charitable entities or
institutions, or from federal funds for the purpose of funding or reimbursing
the department for the costs associated with establishing or maintaining the
library materials, programs, resources, and services; provided however, any
monies received from those gifts, grants, or other financial assistance is
required to be deposited in the �Prison Libraries Fund.�