This is a really great resource for YA collection development, specifically in the environment of juvenile detention center libraries.

The LSYC website has a whole Resources for Collection Development  link. This includes specific collection development policies for incarcerated youth from different counties, such as Alameda County’s in the Bay Area (this one is not much different from their general YA Collection Development Policy, although it does mention specifically working with the Juvenile Justice Center to select appropriate materials for incarcerated youth), and Hennepin County’s, which is specifially for juvenile detention center libraries. This one includes a list of restricted materials, considered not  “appropriate reading material” for this population.

The “Resources” link also talks about the In the Margins book award, which I had not heard of before, but which often deals with authors and topics surrounding incarceration in the youth community. The award’s mission statement is as follows:

To seek out and highlight fiction and nonfiction titles (Pre-K through adult) of high-interest appeal to youth, ages 9–21, that reflect marginalized and/or street culture with a preference for marginalized books (books that are self-published or from small independent publishers).

Young Adult Collection Development – Welcome to LSYC! | Library Services for Youth in Custody