Most popular books in prisons revealed

Heroic fantasy books, Jack Reacher novels and crime thrillers top the reading list inside our prisons.

Department of Corrections revealed to the Herald on Sunday that books written by Lee Child, James Patterson and David Gemmell were the most popular in demand at libraries at New Zealand prisons.

Child is best known for the massively popular Jack Reacher series, James Patterson author of crime-thrillers including Along Came a Spider and Women's Murder Club, and heroic fantasy writer David Gemmell's top-selling books include Legend and Quest for Lost Heroes.

Corrections' programmes and interventions director, Ben Clarke, said other popular reads included sports books, cooking books and self-help books.

Inmates did not have access to books which had explicit content, were about tattooing or showed how to make weapons or alcohol.

Prisoners were also offered colouring pages, Sudoku and crosswords and in some cases inmates also used adult colouring books sent to them by friends or family.

Clinical psychologist Dr Gwenda Willis told the Herald on Sunday the interest in crime and thrillers in prisons was not surprising because it reflected the reading tastes of the general population.

She said it was a positive that inmates were spending their down time in a "constructive way" by reading.

"If they are sitting reading a book then they are not going to be causing any trouble or harming anyone," she said. "I guess you could consider reading to be quite a pro social activity. There are definitely worse things they could be doing with their time."

Sudoko, crosswords and colouring-in was also a good way of engaging the mind, she said.

"For some people [colouring] can be really helpful," she said. "Those books can provide a way for people to sit down and focus on something."