The first chapter reviews the history of prison libraries from 1798 to 2000, followed by a chapter that compares the correctional library to other publicly funded libraries in the United States. It advises that the prison library must focus on the needs of the community it serves, just as does a community-based library. The third chapter provides guidance on the design, furnishings, and equipment for a prison library. The main recommendation is that the library be in a location central to the housing units. The fourth chapter addresses the constant efforts to censor titles and ban formats in a prison library. The U.S. Supreme Court is noted to have made it difficult for prison libraries by upholding a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections ban on newspapers and magazines in a long-term segregation unit as a legitimate form of deprivation for the purpose of behavior modification (Beard v. Banks, 2006). The fifth chapter follows up by examining the evolution of prisoners' right to access the courts and how this impacts the correctional library. Suggestions are offered for maintaining a law-library collection within the general library. Chapter 6 takes the issue further by discussing the "jailhouse lawyer" (an inmate expert on prisoners' rights and the legal process) as a complement or alternative to a law library. Issues addressed in subsequent chapters include networking with other prison librarians and community-based librarians; guidelines for integrating the Internet into library services; security issues that may affect prison library operations; integrating library services with rehabilitation objectives; and education and training for correctional librarians. Chapter notes, 5 appendixes with supplementary guidance, and a subject index