Restricted Reading, a new original series of short personal audio narratives, examines access to information in prison and the right to intellectual freedom for the more than 2.2 million people incarcerated in America today. The series will be released during Banned Books Week, Sept. 26 – Oct. 2, 2021. Restricted Reading is produced by Kouvenda Media, with sponsorship from the Freedom to Read Foundation and support from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom.

This montage features perspectives on prison censorship from Freedom to Read Foundation board member Eldon Ray James, who was formerly incarcerated; institutional library consultant Erin Boyington from the Colorado State Library; staff writer Seth Galinsky of The Militant Newspaper; and University of Illinois faculty member and Education Justice Project director Rebecca Ginsburg.

Restricted Reading was reported and produced by Stephanie Marudas of Kouvenda Media, with editorial assistance from Emily Previti and mixed by Brad Linder. Sponsorship for the series comes from the Freedom to Read Foundation along with support from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. Connect with us @KouvendaMedia on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.

Kouvenda Media is an independently owned production house dedicated to creating in-depth podcasts that are thoughtful, engaging and informed by deep research and reporting, data analysis, extensive conversations and personal narratives. To learn more about our work, find us online at https://www.kouvendamedia.com/.

This synopsis provides an overview on restricted reading practices in prison with Pen America’s James Tager, author of Literature Locked Up: How Prison Book Restriction Policies Constitute the Nation’s Largest Book Ban.

Restricted Reading was reported and produced by Stephanie Marudas of Kouvenda Media, with editorial assistance from Emily Previti and mixed by Brad Linder. Sponsorship for the series comes from the Freedom to Read Foundation along with support from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. Connect with us @KouvendaMedia on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.

Kouvenda Media is an independently owned production house dedicated to creating in-depth podcasts that are thoughtful, engaging and informed by deep research and reporting, data analysis, extensive conversations and personal narratives. To learn more about our work, find us online at https://www.kouvendamedia.com/.