Suffolk Sheriff Launches Program Encouraging Library Usage By Former Inmates Reentering The Community

YAPHANK, NY — The Suffolk County Sheriff's office has launched a partnership with the public library system — dubbed the Reentry Education and Access to Discovery Program, or the READ program — to provide library cards to people reentering the community after incarceration.

It is designed to support successful community reentry by connecting former inmates with a wide range of educational, employment, and technological resources available through local libraries.

Participants, who must have a definite release date, will be able to register while incarcerated and receive a library card, Sheriff Errol Toulon said.

Toulon said that 85 percent of the men and women incarcerated in jails return to the community, "so it is vital to give them the tools to succeed."

He thanked the Suffolk Cooperative Library System for partnering with his office to expand access to all of Suffolk’s libraries and "the important resources that they provide."

Kevin Verbesey, executive director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, said that "accessibility for all is one of the central values of public libraries, and their vast array of programs and services are a natural fit for those who are looking to successfully re-enter their communities."

“We thank Sheriff Toulon for his foresight in seeing the positive impact public libraries have on all community members," he added.

Danielle Paisley, director of the Patchogue-Medford Library, noted that as "the central library" for the county, Patchogue-Medford is proud to participate in the R.E.A.D. program.

"Public libraries have always been places where people can find information, support, and a path forward, and we believe strongly in being a resource for those returning to our communities," she said. "We thank Sheriff Toulon for including libraries in this important initiative."

The Sheriff’s Transition and Reentry Team, or START, will maintain a database of eligible individuals who signed up for the program and distribute the physical cards to the individuals upon release.

The cards will be standard plastic library cards and will grant 90 days of access to county libraries.

To ensure privacy and dignity, there is no indication of prior incarceration on the card.

Suffolk's libraries offer many resources that may benefit individuals reentering the community, including access to computers, the internet, printing, educational materials, job search resources, and other support services offered by the libraries.