Read for Reentry Act of 2026

The Read for Reentry Act of 2026 requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO), led by the Comptroller General of the United States, to conduct a study on libraries and library services in state and federal prisons. The GAO must compile its findings into a report and submit it to Congress no later than one year after the bill becomes law.

* **Government Accountability Office (GAO):** The Comptroller General and GAO staff are directly required to conduct the study and draft the report. * **Federal and State Prison Systems:** Federal and state correctional facilities will be the subjects of data collection regarding their library services, funding, and inmate populations. * **Incarcerated Individuals:** Inmates in state and federal prisons will have their demographic, disciplinary, and post-release outcome data analyzed as part of the study. * **Congress:** Receives the final report on prison library services and related outcomes.

The bill mandates a national study to gather specific information about prison libraries. The resulting report to Congress must include: * A detailed description of library services currently offered in state and federal prisons. * Information on how these libraries and services are funded. * Demographic details about incarcerated individuals in facilities with library services, including age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, education level, criminal background, and sentence length. * In-prison behavioral data, specifically rates of disciplinary infractions (as defined by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons) among inmates in facilities that offer library services. * Post-release outcomes for individuals leaving prisons with library services, including recidivism rates, parole compliance rates, and job placement results. * Any additional relevant information or findings the Comptroller General chooses to include.

The bill requires the GAO to identify and report on the existing funding sources that support state and federal prison libraries. However, the bill summary does not mention any new federal spending, appropriations, or grants authorized to fund prison libraries or pay for the GAO study itself.

* **No direct operational changes:** The bill strictly orders a study and a report. It does not require prisons to create, expand, or alter library services, nor does it mandate changes to parole or reentry programs. * **Time limit:** The GAO is required to complete and submit the report within a strict one-year deadline following the bill's enactment. * **Infraction definitions:** In-prison disciplinary metrics used in the study are limited to infractions as defined specifically by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons.

This bill orders the GAO to study state and federal prison libraries and report back to Congress within one year. The study will look at how prison libraries are funded, who has access to them, and whether facilities with library services see differences in inmate discipline, recidivism, parole compliance, and employment after release.