# In Prison, Books Can Be a LIfeline, But Advocates Worry About Access and Censorship

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-california-report-magazine-743396/in-prison-books-can-be-a-lifeline-but-advocates-worry-about-access-and-censorship
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-california-report-magazine-743396/in-prison-books-can-be-a-lifeline-but-advocates-worry-about-access-and-censorship.md
Podcast: [The California Report Magazine](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-california-report-magazine-743396)
Published: 2026-02-21T00:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC5463625225.mp3
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC5463625225.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-california-report-magazine-743396/episodes/in-prison-books-can-be-a-lifeline-but-advocates-worry-about-access-and-censorship
Duration seconds: 1818

## Resource

When Cherish Burtson was sent to prison, she says one of the main things that helped her get through her time was reading. She devoured memoirs and books on mindfulness, which helped her manage the challenges she experienced behind bars. After she was released, she began to volunteer with Books Thru Bars San Diego, a group that provides reading materials to people who are incarcerated. But lately she’s noticed that more titles are being rejected by prison officials. This week, we bring you an excerpt of the KPBS podcast The Finest. It explores prison book bans, which some critics are calling censorship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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