Books to Prisons Programs
PBP is one of many “books to prisons” nonprofits in the United States. If you live near one of these, they would appreciate your books and your support!
Some may be able to serve prisoners in states we do not serve. The info on service areas can change frequently. Please verify the group’s service area before requesting books.
United States
Alabama
Arizona
Read Between The Bars, Tucson, AZ
Serves: AZ only
California
Books for Prisoners at UCSD, San Diego, CA
Serves: All US states EXCEPT MA
Prison Library Project, Claremont, CA
Serves: All US states EXCEPT MA
Prisoners Literature Project, San Francisco, CA
Serves: All US states EXCEPT TX
UC Davis Books to Prisoners, Sacramento, CA
Serves: CA, FL, NY, OR, PA, TX
Colorado
Pages for Prisons, Boulder, CO
Serves: Colorado prison libraries only
District of Columbia
DC Books to Prisons Project, Washington, DC
Serves: federal prisoners in Arizona. DC residents in federal prisons. All other states EXCEPT CT, FL, IL, MA, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VT, WA, or WI.
Florida
Gainesville Books to Prisoners, Gainesville, FL
Serves: FL only
Open Books Prison Book Project, Pensacola, FL
Serves: FL only
Georgia
X Books, Atlanta, GA
Serves: GA only
Illinois
Chicago Books to Women in Prison, Chicago, IL
Serves: women’s state prisons in AZ, AL, AR, CA, CT, FL, IL, IN, KY, MS, TN, VT, WA; all women in Federal prisons, and trans women being housed in men’s prisons everywhere.
Liberation Library, Chicago, IL
Serves youth in all Illinois youth prisons and select Illinois youth jails.
Midwest Books to Prisoners, Chicago, IL
Serves: Focus on midwest states, but answer all requests
Supplies books directly to prison librarians in Illinois
Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners Project, Urbana, IL
Serves: Illinois only
Indiana
Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project, Bloomington, IN
Serves: AR, IA, IN, KS, ND, OK, and SD
Kentucky
Louisville Books to Prisoners, Louisville, KY
Serves: KY and VA
Louisiana
Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners, New Orleans, LA
Serves: AL, AR, LA. Women and LA prisoners are prioritized.
Massachusetts
Great Falls Books Through Bars, Greenfield, MA
Serves: priority is TX, CA; serves everywhere else EXCEPT AZ, CT, ID, IN, LA, MA, ME, MS, PA, WI, jails
Prison Book Program, Quincy, MA
Serves: All US states FEDERAL ONLY FOR CA, MI, and TX
Michigan
Unitarian Universalist Ann Arbor Prison Books, Ann Arbor, MI
Serves: Select MI institution libraries, not individual people
Minnesota
Women’s Prison Book Project, Minneapolis, MN
Serves: Cis and trans women
Mississippi
Big House Books, Jackson, MS
Serves: Mississippi only
Missouri
Liberation Lit, Kansas City, MO
Serves: Unknown
Missouri Prison Books, St. Louis, MO
Serves: all Midwestern states
Nebraska
New Jersey
Books Behind Bars, Wildwood, NJ
Serves: NJ only
New York
Books Beyond Bars, New York, NY
Serves: NY only
Buffalo Books Though Bars, Buffalo, NY
Serves: NY and TX
NYC Books Through Bars, New York, NY
Serves: All US states EXCEPT AL, FL, LA, MA, MI, MS, NC, OH, and PA with a priority on NY
Prison Books Project, Beacon, NY
Serves: NY
Saxapahaw Prison Books, Brooklyn, NY
Serves: GA only
North Carolina
Asheville Prison Books Program, Asheville, NC
Serves: NC, SC
NC Women’s Prison Book Project, Durham, NC
Serves: women in NC
Prison Books Collective Publishing and Distribution, Carrboro, NC
Serves: AL, men in NC, Feds in AL, KY, MD, NC, TN, VA, and WV; zines to anywhere
Tranzmission Prison Project, Asheville, NC
Serves: LGBTQ prisoners nationwide
Ohio
Athens Books to Prisoners, Athens, OH
Serves: OH
Redbird Books to Prisoners, Columbus, OH
Prioritizes OH
Oklahoma
OK Prison Books Collective, Tulsa, OK
Oregon
Portland Books to Prisoners, Portland, OR
Serves: All US states EXCEPT MA
Rogue Liberation Library, Ashland, OR
Serves: CA, NV, OR, TX state prisons and Fed prisons nationwide
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Prison Book Project (formerly Book ‘Em), Pittsburgh, PA
Serves: PA only
Books Through Bars, Philadelphia, PA
Serves: PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD, VA
Rhode Island
Providence Books Through Bars, Providence, RI
Serves: All US states EXCEPT AL, AR, FL, ID, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NE, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, WA, or WI.
Tennessee
Tennessee Prison Books Project, Nashville, TN
Serves: TN only
Texas
Inside Books, Austin, TX
Serves: TX only, no county jails
Virginia
Books Behind Bars, Charlottesville, VA
Serves: VA only
Virginia Tech Prison Book Program, Blacksburg, VA
Serves: Only fills requests via Appalachian PBP
Washington
Books to Prisoners, Seattle, WA
Serves: All US states
Books to Prisoners Olympia, Olympia, WA
Serves: Only accepts requests from BtP Seattle.
Books to Prisoners Spokane, Spokane, WA
Serves: Only accepts requests from BtP Seattle.
Lopez Island Books to Prisoners, Lopez Island, WA
Serves: WA and AK
West Virginia
Appalachian Prison Book Project, Morgantown, WV
Serves: KY, MD, OH, TN, VA, WV
Wisconsin
LGBT Books to Prisoners, Madison, WI
Serves: LGBTQ prisoners in all states EXCEPT TX
Wisconsin Books to Prisoners, Madison, WI
Serves: WI only
US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Is /St Croix Prison Library Project, Christiansted, VI
Serves: St Croix only
CANADA
British Columbia
Books 2 Prisoners, Vancouver, BC
Nova Scotia
Books Beyond Bars, Halifax, NS
Serves: Women’s section of the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Burnside
Ontario
Books 2 Prisoners Ottawa, Ottawa, ON
Quebec
Open Door Books, Montreal, PQ
Prisoner Correspondence Project, Montreal, PQ
Serves: Queer & trans people in US and Canada
GREAT BRITAIN
England
