Books in the Nick supplies custody suites with books for detainees to read and keep.
About
Books in the Nick was started by Give a Book in collaboration with Special Constable Steve Whitmore of the Metropolitan Police. Working in partnership with Steve Whitmore, we facilitate the provision of books to individual custody suites. The project began when, after giving his own book to a young man brought into Brixton Custody Suite, SC Whitmore saw the positive and productive reaction this simple action received.
“I met this man, gave him a copy of Catcher in the Rye which I was reading because he seemed so distressed. Later when we was leaving he asked me if he could keep it and I said sure.”
In 2016, the project supplied books to all of the Mets 43 active custody suites. Custody suites are the first place someone is taken for processing when they are arrested. They can be held there for as little as two hours, but sometimes it can be a whole weekend – if they come in on a Friday night for example. The books are specifically selected to be appropriate and reflective of the needs of the detainees in custody suites. A mixture of short stories, Quick reads, poetry, classic stories, non-fiction and pictorial books for young and emergent readers are provided.
Why we do it
Many detainees in custody suites may be encountering officers for the first time. Based on the evidence that being given a book can improve behaviour, to be able to make a difference at this critical time puts this project high on our list of priorities.
Being given the opportunity to read and often keep a book has a positive effect on the detainees. Their relationship with dedicated detention officers (DDOs) and police officers has been shown to improve. Detainees are often distressed and are experiencing perhaps one of the hardest moments in their lives, so giving a book can be a way to instil calm and offer hope.
Feedback
We asked the officers in each custody suite to complete surveys on the effects of having books in custody suites.
“Books in a custody suite are very helpful. Detainees are in the cells for sometimes days on end with very little to do. Books help to break that.”
“It certainly keeps detainees occupied which puts less pressure on the DDOs”
“Helps with the more challenging detainees”
“Gives them something to do in the cell…helps them stay calm.”
“Books are always in short supply. I know detainees will be pleased.”
The project has been covered widely in the press, including this article in the Guardian, and coverage in the Evening Standard.
What next?
Following such encouraging feedback, we continue to restock the London custody suites with books as needed, and have started supplying suites in other parts of the country with books. We are keen to get more feedback from detainees about which books are most popular, and how we can improve the scheme. We receive requests from custody suites who have heard about the scheme and who would like to be involved, so there is definite demand for us to continue expanding this project.
If you are interested in supporting this scheme please do get in touch, via info@giveabook.org.uk