Frequently asked questions

Books to Prisoners is a Seattle-based nonprofit that mails free books to incarcerated people across the country. Our mission is to foster a love of reading, encourage self-empowerment, and help break the cycle of recidivism.

We were founded in the early 1970s as a project of Left Bank Books in Seattle, making us one of the largest and oldest prison book programs in the United States.

No — we send books to prisons across the country. While our headquarters are in Seattle, we also have three associate organizations: Books to Prisoners Olympia, Portland Books Through Bars, and Books to Prisoners Spokane.