Interview from Bellingham
- Oct 10, 2025
- 2 min read
The Front is the student newspaper at Western Washington University, in Bellingham WA.
Journalism major Myla Balser interviewed several volunteers with Books to Prisoners in Seattle and a couple of Whatcom County literacy activists to connect the dots: people who read in prison have better post-release outcomes.
"OPINION: Reading behind bars: The fight for literacy, dignity and rehabilitation - Incarcerated people find hope, autonomy and self-worth through literature provided by prison libraries and nonprofits
"While American prisons are typically geared toward incarceration, a growing movement believes that true rehabilitation may begin between the pages of a book.
"Books to Prisoners, a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, sends free reading material to incarcerated individuals. More than just a charitable gesture, the project offers a powerful statement about the role of education, dignity and escapism in rehabilitation, said Chloe Dietrich, a longtime volunteer for Books to Prisoners.
" 'Limited literacy skills can be a major contributor to poverty, and illiteracy is a barrier for those marginalized by race and economic status', according to Katherine Freimund, executive director of the Whatcom Literacy Council, in an email interview."
Bellingham used to have its own satellite of BtP. From 2005 until 2016, a crew of volunteers there answered requests that we sent on to them. But due to climbing rents, they lost their workspace, and weren't able to afford another.
They've continued to support our work by donating books. A couple of years ago, one of them drove down with a minivan full of textbooks and reference books from a recently-closed middle school in Fernwood.
Currently, they're looking at the possibility of reviving the Bellingham branch. If you are interested in working on this, and/or you know of a church basement, warehouse, or other suitable place where they can store books and host volunteer shifts on evenings/weekends, contact us at bookstoprisoners@live.com.
