Institutionally engineered information poverty: A structural analysis of library services and juvenile rehabilitation in Tanzania

This study explores how access to information shapes the educational and rehabilitative experiences of juveniles in Tanzanian detention centers. Guided by Information Poverty Theory, it examines the structural barriers that limit access to learning resources. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from juvenile offenders and correctional officers through questionnaires, interviews, focused group discussions, and reviews of national policy documents. The findings reveal that information poverty is an institutional issue, rooted in a disconnect between the Prisons Act 2023, which treats access to information as a privilege, and the Tanzania Library Services Act, Cap. 102 (R.E. 2002), which does not require library services in correctional facilities. This disconnect results in a significant (82%) shortage of library facilities and a notable (74%) digital exclusion, primarily driven by security concerns rather than rehabilitation needs. Juveniles demonstrate strong educational aspirations, but these barriers hinder these aspirations. Theoretically, this research extends Information Poverty Theory by showing that educational deprivation in detention is more influenced by institutional factors than by social factors alone. It highlights the urgent need for detention reform, including policy changes and the provision of professional library services, to enhance reintegration prospects for incarcerated youth.