Behind the Walls

Library outreach services for detained/incarcerated individuals and facility staff

Miami-Dade Public Library System
Behind the Walls
101 W Flagler Street
Miami, FL 33130

The Behind the Walls Mail-in Reference Services program offers written responses to requests for general information from Library patrons who are currently incarcerated. Reference letters can include a wide variety of topics ranging from pop culture to job readiness tools.

Community Resource Guide

With over 300 pages, this comprehensive guide offers brief descriptions and contact information for a variety of community organizations, programs and resources.

Download the Community Resource Guide

Mail-In Reference Services for Detained/Incarcerated Persons

Please ensure that your request is clear and specific. Vague or overly broad requests may result in a delayed response or inability to fulfill the request.

Each inmate may submit one reference question per month.
Responses are limited to a maximum of four (4) pages of information. Due to this limitation, we may not be able to fulfill all aspects of your request.
We are unable to contact third parties or send mail on behalf of inmates. Our service is solely for providing reference information.
Please note that we do not offer legal advice through this service.
We are unable to provide any content that violates institutional regulations or policies, including but not limited to adult materials, materials that promote violence, or materials deemed contraband or restricted by the correctional facility.
Unfortunately, we cannot offer book or magazine donations. For such requests, please contact the Prisoners Literature Project at Bound Together Books, 1369 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117.
Requests for pen pal connections cannot be accommodated through this service.
While we cannot provide private information about individuals, we are happy to supply information about public organizations, non-profits, or businesses.
Responses will be provided in the same format in which the request was received.
All requests must be written in respectful language. Requests containing offensive or inappropriate language may not be processed.

Please note that any requests for information outside the scope of our provided services may go unanswered. We encourage you to review our guidelines to ensure your request aligns with the services we offer.

Mail-In Reference Services for Detained/Incarcerated Persons

Please ensure that your request is clear and specific. Vague or overly broad requests may result in a delayed response or inability to fulfill the request.

Each inmate may submit one reference question per month.
Responses are limited to a maximum of four (4) pages of information. Due to this limitation, we may not be able to fulfill all aspects of your request.
We are unable to contact third parties or send mail on behalf of inmates. Our service is solely for providing reference information.
Please note that we do not offer legal advice through this service.
We are unable to provide any content that violates institutional regulations or policies, including but not limited to adult materials, materials that promote violence, or materials deemed contraband or restricted by the correctional facility.
Unfortunately, we cannot offer book or magazine donations. For such requests, please contact the Prisoners Literature Project at Bound Together Books, 1369 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117.
Requests for pen pal connections cannot be accommodated through this service.
While we cannot provide private information about individuals, we are happy to supply information about public organizations, non-profits, or businesses.
Responses will be provided in the same format in which the request was received.
All requests must be written in respectful language. Requests containing offensive or inappropriate language may not be processed.