The Prison Library Project Creates and "Smuggles" in First-Ever Women's Health Book That Evades Prison Book Bans

Page by page, a women's health education book has been mailed to prison, getting much-needed content in the hands of those who have no access otherwise

CLAREMONT, Calif., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Prison Banned Books Week, (September 15-21), the Prison Library Project in partnership with OHG's Purpose Group announced the launch of their new women's health literacy campaign, "Contrabanned."

Many state prison systems systematically ban women's health books, often labeling depictions of the female anatomy as "sexually explicit." The Prison Library Project created a first-of-its-kind women's health book that overcomes this illogical ban because each of the 250 pages were sent as letters to those who are incarcerated. While books may be banned, letters are not.

As for the execution, over the course of 3 months, each page was sent to an incarcerated woman—a former nurse whose name is being kept anonymous for her safety. She then stitched the pages together using dental floss available in the prison commissary to create a complete book. The woman also made printouts of the pages which she shared with fellow inmates, enabling them to assemble their own books.

But the Contrabanned book is about more than cleverly designed material that outsmarted state prison bans. The book, created by female health literacy experts and medical students, explains relevant topics such as menstrual health, breast cancer, and sexual health simply and clearly. It was written and designed specifically for the 975,000 incarcerated women in the US, 70% of whom cannot read at a fourth-grade level.

"Contrabanned shows the power of knowledge, but also peer education, which research shows reduces risky behavior and the rate of reincarceration," says Mckenna Deluca from the Prison Library Project. "This content is needed from a public health concern standpoint and for the safety of our communities." 

"The campaign and book highlight the growing censorship of women's health books in prison libraries across America," says Dina Peck, Chief Creative Officer of OHG's Purpose Group. "Anyone who wants health education (in prison or otherwise) should have access to it. Our hope is that people will sign the petition and make this book the first approved women's health book across the prison system."  You can access the petition put together by the Prison Library Project at: https://chng.it/x47hTdgcgf

Contrabanned is about making sure all women are empowered to care for their own health. Dr. Susan Andreas, a health literacy expert who contributed to the book, adds, "Women with limited health literacy tend to have higher rates of hospitalization and are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions. Access to health literate content can help change that."

In honor of the launch of Contrabanned during Prison Banned Books Week, the Prison Library Project will host a livestream with the team that brought this project to life on Friday, September 20th at 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET.

The event may be accessed here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81498785807

Visit Contrabanned.us to donate funds for postage to enable more books to be created and to sign the petition.

About Claremont Forum's Prison Library Project
The Claremont Forum's Prison Library Project (https://www.claremontforum.org/prisonlibraryproject) is a volunteer-driven program focused on delivering books and educational resources to incarcerated individuals. Their mission is to address the pressing issue of insufficient literacy skills and limited access to reading materials among incarcerated men and women nationwide. They've mailed over half a million books to correctional facilities across the United States since 1992.

About OHG's Purpose Group
OHG's Purpose Group believes all great brands are built on purpose. The Purpose Group is comprised of Patients & Purpose and Science & Purpose and part of Omnicom Health Group (www.omnicomhealthgroup.com)—a global collective of communications companies with more than 5,000 dedicated healthcare communications specialists. OHG provides marketing services to the health and life-science industries and is powered by Omni Health, the first and only end-to-end data platform designed for the specific requirements of healthcare clients.

SOURCE Omnicom Health Group