Literature vs. crime

Mexico City

Mexico City subway workers have begun distributing free books in an effort to fight crime. “When people read, people change,” said Javier Gonzalez Garza, director of the subway system. The Mexican capital, with 8.5 million people, has struggled with a high crime rate for years. Robbery and pickpocketing are common on the subway. The city plans to pass out 7 million paperbacks over two years to create a more positive atmosphere on the trains. Omar Raul Martinez, a book publisher, said the program might stamp out illiteracy, but nothing more. “We’ll have an equal number of delinquents,” he said, “but they’ll be well educated.”

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