Why Toronto West Detention Centre inmates can't read library books

Inmates at Toronto West Detention Centre have been denied books for much of the last two years because a volunteer who ran the library retired.

At the Toronto East Detention Centre, library service has been sporadic for 16 years because of a lack of volunteers, said Brent Ross, a spokesman for the Correctional Services ministry. Student volunteers have filled in occasionally during the last two years, he said, adding that jails have relied on volunteers since 1996 when the province laid off all librarians in correctional institutions.

The locked-up library carts came to light when Alex Hundert, jailed for his role as an organizer of the G20 protest two years ago, wrote a blog this week about not being able to get a library book at Toronto West.

"Other than a few Bibles and Korans I haven't seen a book since I got here," wrote Hundert, who was sentenced June 26.