The selection of information sources in prison libraries

Prison libraries aim to provide inmates with opportunities to develop social and technical skills avoid idleness and mental deterioration and prepare them for eventual release. To this end these libraries must consider the situation of the inmates who make up the community they serve providing information that is consistent with their reality. In this context the objective was to analyse the process of selecting information sources in libraries in the prison system of the state of Alagoas located in north-eastern Brazil. We sought to map the libraries located in the prison establishments that make up the state's prison system; identify those responsible for selecting information sources; characterise the criteria used in the selection process; and understand the correlation between the selection process and the condition of the incarcerated user. The process of forming and developing collections within the prison system seeks to adapt the collection and information materials to the main objectives of the institution effectively contributing to the process of resocialisation of the incarcerated user.