Thanks to Kate Reading, Micheal Kramer, and the Wheel of Time fans of the https://www.patreon.com/littleband who recently donated over $1200 to BtP. Kate and Michael, who record the audio versions of the Wheel of Time books written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, are long-time BtP supporters. Donate at least $50 to BtP (or another … Continue reading Thank you, Wheel of Time Fans!
Keep Free Books Available to People at Rikers Island
Call for action: It is our understanding that NYC Department of Corrections is planning on stopping Books to Prisoners and other prison book programs from sending books into the infamous Rikers Island jail complex. Rikers houses convicted people and pre-trial detainees. The NYCDOC's Board of Correction released a communication which notably allows companies that sell books (Amazon, … Continue reading Keep Free Books Available to People at Rikers Island
Interview with A Voice From Prison
"There are over forty organizations in the United States that distribute donated books to prisons and incarcerated individuals. One of these nonprofit organizations is Books to Prisoners, located in Seattle, Washington. They have been responding to individual requests for books for close to five decades. We sat down with Andy Chan, who has volunteered there … Continue reading Interview with A Voice From Prison
2022 in Review
Thanks to all who have helped make 2022 a memorable, productive, and successful year for BTP! While we wish our work wasn’t necessary, it continues to be a vital lifeline for many behind bars. 2022 highlights: January - A warden at South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton TN handed us a teachable moment about prison … Continue reading 2022 in Review
Reading is a Human Right
Another slogan on a board? Your support makes it real. In 2023, we anticipate over 14,000 requests from people in prisons and jails across the US. They may have few - if any - other ways of accessing books for education, personal growth, or companionship. We want to take a moment to thank all of you … Continue reading Reading is a Human Right
Meet Sydney, Volunteer of the Month, December 2022
Sydney began volunteering with Books to Prisoners in June. She comes in several times a month to wrap packages of books prisoners have requested. “Very focused, but really pleasant to be around”, according to BtP board member Andy, who often hosts the Tuesday night volunteer shift. Sydney has offered to use her experience applying for … Continue reading Meet Sydney, Volunteer of the Month, December 2022
Banned Books Week 2022
Banned Books Week is here! Banned Books Week (September 18th-24th) is an annual awareness campaign of the American Library Association. As we know, Banned Books Week is every week for people incarcerated in prisons, jails, and detention centers across the country. Every day, people inside face ridiculous and repressive restrictions to what literature they can … Continue reading Banned Books Week 2022
We’re still open – and we’re all volunteers again, for now!
With apologies for the radio silence, we are alive! As 2021 progressed and we slowly rolled back our COVID restrictions, keeping the blog up-to-date fell to the wayside - but rest assured that we are still around, still kicking, and still sending books to people behind bars. COVID - for those of us who are … Continue reading We’re still open – and we’re all volunteers again, for now!
Volunteer Shift of the Month!
Our intentions of getting Volunteer of the Month interviews out on a monthly basis may have stumbled somewhat, but - thankfully - our volunteers themselves have held steady! For this month (and, I suppose, last month,) we’re detailing the “bubble shift” of a group of our at-home wrappers. These are volunteers who pick up paired … Continue reading Volunteer Shift of the Month!
Volunteer(s) of the Month: Gail and Alex!
Hey all, it’s been a little bit since we nominated anybody to be Volunteer of the Month! (Almost a year, in fact.) In spite of - or perhaps because of - how stressful external conditions are right now, we've decided to get back into the groove and publish a series of VOTM interviews over the next … Continue reading Volunteer(s) of the Month: Gail and Alex!