US Prisons Ban Tens of Thousands of Books, Including Amy Schumer’s Memoir, Citing Security Concerns: PEN America Report

Report reveals more than 22,000 books barred in Florida's prisons - the highest in the country - and identifies two types of censorship, including content-neutral rules like shipping restrictions, but warns actual incidents of banning may be significantly higher due to unreliable or non-existent record-keeping in many prisons.

Over tens of thousands of books, including Amy Schumer's memoir 'The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo', have been banned from U.S. prisons due to so-called security concerns and content deemed sexually explicit or disruptive to the correctional system's objectives.
Florida has the highest number of book bans in the country, with more than 22,000 books barred in its prisons. Texas stands second with over 10,000 book bans.
The report by PEN America suggests that many instances of book banning might be unrecorded, as many prisons lack reliable record-keeping systems. More than 20 states, including Kentucky and New Mexico, do not keep centralized records.
Books are either banned due to their content (content-specific), or due to restrictions on the delivery methods or packaging (content-neutral). In many states, prisoners are only allowed to receive books from a select group of approved vendors, and in some cases, companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble are not on the approved list.
Banned books range from self-help novels to graphic novels, including 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, 'Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars', and '48 Laws of Power' by Robert Greene. The banning process often lacks oversight and public scrutiny, leading to allegations of systematic and comprehensive censorship.