Send Books to Prisoners

From Inmate to Mentor, Through Power of Books
By Lonnae O'Neal Parker   Washington Post Staff Writer   Monday, October 2, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100101160_pf.html

My Life on Death Row  “Books were what saved me.”
By Wilbert Rideau, April 2011 The Progressive
http://www.progressive.org/rideau0411.html  

How to donate books to prisons

Write a Prisoner has a list of prisons and programs around the US where you can donate old books.

Please do not throw away your old books! They may be needed in institutions around the United States. Please check to see if your books fit the criteria below and consider sending them in. There is a proven correlation between illiteracy and incarceration. Help diminish our country's growing prison population through education.

http://www.writeaprisoner.com/books-behind-bars/

Prison Pen Pals asks you to send books directly to prisons.

They have a list of Prisons That Need Your Books plus suggestions for shipping books, what types of books prisons are looking for (dictionaries and phone books presently) and special considerations for specific locations.

http://www.prisonpenpals.com/booksbehindbars.html

Prisoners Literature Project is a grassroots organization that sends free books to prisoners in the United States. The project started in the early 1980’s in the back of Bound Together Books, an anarchist bookstore still operating on Haight Street. PLP is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations.

http://www.prisonersliteratureproject.com/donate

           Drop off book donations to:

Prison Dharma Network

If you have books on contemplative practice (meditation, yoga, mindfulness, etc) you would like to donate (no magazines, please) please send to this address:

Prison Dharma Network

11 S. Angell St. #303

Providence RI 02906

http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/books_behind_bars.html

Books to Prisoners

A Seattle-based, all-volunteer, non-profit group that sends free books to prisoners in the U.S.

Books Needed: http://www.bookstoprisoners.net/books%20needed.htm

Book donations may be mailed to thier volunteer location at University Christian Church:

Books to Prisoners

c/o University Christian Church

4731 15th Ave NE

Seattle, WA, 98105

http://www.bookstoprisoners.net/

Books Through Bars 

4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143,  (215) 727-0882 Books

Through Bars has created an interactive map showing prison book programs in the US and Canada, including contact information. Check it out, and get involved with a prison book program near you!

http://www.booksthroughbars.org/pbp/

Books through Bars sends quality reading material to prisoners and encourages creative dialogue on the criminal justice system, thereby educating those living inside and outside of prison walls.

http://www.booksthroughbars.org/

More ideas for getting books into the hands of prisoners

From: http://www.prisonpenpals.com/booksbehindbars.html

• Hold your own local book drive!
• Call your local college library and ask them what they do with books they take out of their systems. Many give them away, and they could really benefit prisoners.
• Make book collection boxes to place in lobbies and foyers of schools, churches, businesses...whoever will give you permission.
• Call prisons in your area and ask what their policy is on donating books. If you can donate directly, great!

Please e-mail us and share your experiences and information so we can share it with others!

What to send and how to send it!

From Books to Prisoners

http://www.bookstoprisoners.net/books%20needed.htm

Please send paperback books and limit box weight to 15 pounds maximum.

Most needed books 

• Dictionaries (English and Spanish/English)  
• Thesauruses  
• Small business and real estate - Running and starting a business 
  
• Law dictionaries and legal self help  
• Trades (plumbing, electricity, carpentry, construction, auto mechanics) 
  
• Classic literature
• Blank journals/diaries (some pages ripped out is fine)

Reference and text books  

• Almanacs (non-current year still great!)  
• Foreign language textbooks (particularly Spanish)  
• Biology, chemistry, and physics text books
• American Sign Language manuals 
  
• Philosophy
• GED prep and high-school level textbooks in all subject areas
• Vocational, technical, and "how to" books, such as electrical repair, home repair, etc.
• Small business guides or handbooks (including management)

African-American and Hispanic studies

• African-American non-fiction (including Black Panther and related material)
• ANY Mexican or Latino non-fiction (including  Mexican Revolution and Aztec history)
• World history, especially ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and military history  

Information to support your donation experience

From http://www.prisonpenpals.com/booksbehindbars.html

NEW & SPECIAL NEED: prison librarians have voiced that they would like to have your OLD telephone books.

The prison librarian can use telephone books from all over the USA, since they are often asked for numbers or addresses of business, etc. The librarians have told us that they do not give the prisoners access to the phone books, rather look up the information for them.

If you live for example in California, it may be extremely helpful for a prison in New York to have your phone directory once you are finished with it. The librarians have a hard time collecting telephone directories from out of their area or state, so we are asking you to HELP RECYCLE these used phone books and help a prisoner!

Be sure to mail your directories at the special LOWER BOOK RATE! Some post offices even COLLECT used directories. Why not send SEVERAL to various prisons!?! Thank you for your help and caring about prisoners.

Send your books and magazines DIRECT to prison libraries.

Mark your package "Attention Librarian"

• Many prisoners enjoy reading
• Send your NEW or USED books and magazines DIRECT to prison libraries!
• Clean out your closets and SEND PRISON LIBRARIES YOUR BOOKS!