He has called a jail cell home for a combined 40 years, drifting in and out for a jumble of theft, drug and assault convictions. Each time he's released, he reverts to stealing and lands back behind bars.
Blair will complete his sentence this month, and he says it'll be different this time. He promises to keep reading.
The D.C. Public Library system opened its first location in the city's only jail in March 2015, introducing inmates to books and library programming that also will be available to them after release. In its first year, 1,100 inmates checked out 4,600 books.
Larry Blair, a D.C. jail inmate, reads books such as "Dreams From My Father," by Barack Obama. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)"When I got on the streets, I never had time to read," said Blair, dressed in an orange jumpsuit in the basement library. "Now, I promised, I will always have a book."
In 2013, advocates began asking for a library in D.C.'s jail, citing anecdotes and programs showing how reading can rehabilitate and empower the incarcerated. The library is one of a handful of programs, including GED classes and occupational training, intended to make inmates more literate and employable. An employed former convict is less likely to return to a cell block, according to data from the Urban Institute.
Some D.C. inmates have been exposed to books and libraries in federal prisons. The District's program, in part, also seeks to help transition inmates from using the jail's library to the libraries in their neighborhoods upon release.
When Blair gets out, he'll leave with a library card.
"It's amazing how small things make a huge difference," said Regina Gilmore, the reentry coordinator for the D.C. Department of Corrections. "Of course, the library reduces idleness, but it also starts dialogue. They talk about the books with each other, they relate to it. It helps with their communication skills."
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