Just One Thing with Kasey Butcher Santana

Kasey Butcher Santana’s essay “Contraband Marginalia” opens the doors for us into the joys and challenges of working in a jail library. Here she shares just one thing about the piece:

“I worked in a jail library for more than four years and that experience inspired "Contraband Marginalia." The terms jail and prison are often used interchangeably, but in reality, the places function differently. People in jail are usually awaiting trial or sentencing, or serving short sentences (i.e. less than two years). In prison, people have already been sentenced to longer terms, but they may be moved back to a jail near a courthouse where they have an appeal or court date. Although neither is desirable, many people think the experience in prison is better than in jail, because the security setup is more intense and uniform across the building, so within those confines, individuals have access to more freedom (such as outdoor time), programs, and privileges. Libraries like the one I worked in are uncommon in jails. Often, people jokingly told me that our county was the best place in the area to get locked up, because of the library. My coworkers were amazing and, although I left the job during the pandemic, I miss it all the time.”