CCDC Library

Charles County Detention Center

Address: 6905 Crain Hwy, La Plata, MD 20646 | Telephone: 301/932-3100

Please Note: Services are Available Only to Detention Center Clients 

The Charles County Public Library operates a fully operational library branch within the Charles County Detention Center to serve incarcerated individuals. Established in April 2023 through a partnership with the Charles County Detention Center, the library provides free and equitable access to materials and services that support personal growth, legal research, and successful re-entry into the community. The collection includes a wide range of fiction and nonfiction titles in paperback format, and individuals at the Detention Center can access library materials every week. Educational workshops are offered throughout the year by library staff to support learning and development. Each individual also receives a library card, which they can use at any Charles County Public Library branch upon release, encouraging continued use of the library’s free resources as they reintegrate into society.

  • The Charles County Detention Center Library provides incarcerated individuals access to recreational, educational, and legal materials to improve and enrich their lives as well as to facilitate successful community reentry. The library contains paperback fiction and non-fiction books, including materials in several languages.
  • Library services are provided to individuals at the Detention Center Library weekly, which allows the individuals to borrow books and helps them find resources for legal information.
  • Modified library services are provided as possible according to federal, state, and/or local government emergency mandates.
  • We offer educational workshops on topics such as job readiness, resume writing, personal finance, and Excel basics, among others. 
  • We also offer book clubs and other engaging and creative library programs that support personal development, encourage positive interaction, and promote well-being.

The Storybook Program is a program aimed at promoting early childhood literacy and fostering a connection between incarcerated individuals who have young children at home that they are separated from. During these programs, library staff will meet with incarcerated individuals while they record themselves reading a recordable children’s book that is provided by the library. After the book is recorded, library staff take the book and package it up with an accompanying stuffed animal and other library resource materials and place it in a gift bag. Library staff will coordinate with the families of the incarcerated individuals to pick up the storybook gift bag at the library. Once children receive their recorded books, they can open their new book and read along to a story while hearing their parents’ voices at any time.

Skillready Workshops are classes that take place at the Detention Center and are facilitated by CCPL staff. The focus of these workshops is to support digital literacy skills and workforce readiness for returning citizens. These programs are offered on a routine basis and cover topics like resume writing, digital literacy skills, financial literacy, how to utilize free database resources, and more. 

Our greatest need for this project at present is monetary support to assist with the cost of materials to carry out programs, such as the Storybook Program and Skillready Workshops, as well as assist with the general costs associated with providing library services. Your donation would also ensure this portion of our community is served. Donations to this project would support this effort in the following ways:

  • Purchasing recordable books, stuffed animals, and gift bags for the Storybook Program.
  • Purchasing supplemental materials and technologies to support Skillready Workshops and other programs, such as laptops and software, or books for book discussion programs.
  • Assisting with the general expenses of sustaining this service, such as purchasing books for the collection and library equipment to carry out these services, and other needs that arise.

Currently, we are not accepting book donations for this project, as the steps to get materials processed in the system would cost us more than purchasing new materials. Additionally, due to the limited space we have for library materials, we want to ensure the collection is reflective of the needs of the individuals being served and is carefully selected and curated by our Collection Development team. Additionally, due to security concerns, we are not seeking volunteers to assist with the library at the Detention Center, though there could be opportunities in the future.

Anyone who would like to support the Charles County Detention Center Library is encouraged to donate through our website. Additionally, anyone wanting to donate to support this project can also contact our Development Manager, Shannon Bland, at sbland@ccplonline.org for more information.

ACLU of Maryland
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 350
Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Phone: 410/889-8555
Fax: 410/366-7838
E-mail: aclu[at]aclu-md[dtot]org

Charles County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service

Phone: 301/609-9350

  • No pro bono or reduced fee programs are available. Criminal and personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. If you have financial resources, call to see if they can handle your case type.

Charles County Legal Services Directory: Pro Bono (Free) And Reduced Fee Legal Services

Living Classrooms Foundation
802 South Caroline Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
Phone: 410/685-0295

  • The Living Classrooms Foundation (LCF) uses maritime settings to provide hands-on education and job training, with a special emphasis on juvenile offenders, at-risk youth, and groups from diverse backgrounds. The Fresh Start Program serves out-of-school youth and juvenile offenders ages 16-19 whose needs are not being met by state and local education agencies. 

The Maryland Entrepreneur’s Guide

  • A concise guide to federal and Maryland financing and support programs for emerging companies.

Maryland Legal Aid

Main Intake Phone: 888/465-2468

  • Maryland Legal Aid provides a full range of free civil legal services to financially eligible individuals from 12 office locations.

Maryland Legal Services Corporation

Maryland Re-Entry Initiative – Workforce Development & Adult Learning

100 S. Charles Street, Tower 1
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410/767-2173
E-mail: dldwdworkforcedevelopment-labor[at]maryland[dot]gov

Maryland Reentry Resource Center

77 West St. Suite 110
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Phone: 410/429-0107
Email: admin[at]mdrrc[dot]org

Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS)

6776 Reisterstown Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21215

and

6852 4th Street
Sykesville, Maryland 21784
Phone: 877/379-8636 or 410/585-3300 

  • Resources for incarcerated individuals and their families and friends, including reentry services

The People’s Law Library of Maryland

  • The People’s Law Library (PLL) is a legal information and self-help website maintained by the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library.

Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland
520 West Fayette Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410/837-9379 or 800/396-1274
Email: pbrc[at]probonomd[dot]org

Southern Maryland JobSource – Maryland’s American Job Centers

175 Post Office Road
Waldorf, Maryland 20602
Phone: 301/645-8712
Fax: 301/645-8713
Email: dlwdalcharlescountyjs-labor[at]maryland[dot]gov

Thurgood Marshall State Law Library
361 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis Maryland 21401
Phone: 410/260-1430 | (toll-free) 888/216-8156
Email: lawlibrary[at]mdcourts[dot]gov

  • The Thurgood Marshall State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, serves the needs of Maryland’s government and citizens by building and preserving collections of legal information resources, promoting access to these collections, and creating educational opportunities that enhance the understanding of legal information.

United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland

Southern Division

6406 Ivy Lane, Suite 800
Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
Phone: 301/344-4433

  • Reentry resources, including a comprehensive guide that is broken down by county and provides up-to-date information on federal, state, local, and nonprofit services.