Becca’s Place: Early Literacy, Emotional Regulation, and Love in a Maximum-Security Waiting Room

Abstract

In the maximum-security waiting area of the Cook County (IL) Department of Corrections (CCDC), children wait to see a parent or other family members detained in the correctional system. They pass through metal detectors and locked doors to reach a visitation area. They wait in loud, granite-lined spaces designed to house the most people with efficiency rather than comfort. And now—because of love and a children’s librarian named Becca—children can also read, play, and learn