What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way?
I remember being quarantined in my small apartment in 2020 while the country contending with tectonic shifts in how it viewed itself brought about by a perfect storm of a pandemic no one knew much about and massive social unrest and global economic decline (I think this is the year we learned about “murder hornets” as well.) I felt helpless.
Following the pandemic, I wanted to pivot my life in a way so I can make a more meaningful contribution to the global community and started to look for places to volunteer.
Recognizing my passion for books, my dear friend Tara talked to me about Books To Prisoners because she thought it would be a great fit because she knew I loved reading and have been searching for a place to volunteer my time. She was right! I feel like I’ve found a place to quietly contribute to a greater good through books.
Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite parts of the process?
First of all, it’s a really easy process to get onboard with Books to Prisoners, and I attribute this to the great hosts that manage the process as well as the volunteers who are so welcoming and helpful.
I’m happy helping out in any way possible for Books to Prisoners, but I do love reading the prisoners’ letters. I see such a wide array of interests based on the books that are requested. We don’t always have precisely what prisoners are looking for, but it feels nice being able to include a similar book they might enjoy.
Everybody starts off by responding to letters, even if they eventually move on to wrapping or other tasks. Some of the letters can be memorable. Are there any requests that surprised you, or that you remember standing out in any way?
The second time I volunteered, a prisoner wrote about the loneliness in prisons and how the service Books to Prisoners provides has gone a long way for restoring a sense of humanity. Though different scenarios, his words reminded me of the feelings I struggled with during the pandemic, albeit in a very different context. Reading about the impact of receiving books to read was a validation that Books to Prisoners was where I wanted to invest my time.
In the time that you’ve been here, do you think that your views on the prison system, or what it’s like to be incarcerated, have changed? Please feel free to talk about those views if you would like.
Books to Prisoners has challenged me to consider my perspective and prejudices about inmates. Culturally, we tend to look at those incarcerated through a dehumanizing lens. We reduce prisoners to outcasts, irredeemable, stained and shamed. I have found when reading the letters while volunteering, my judgment melts away and I’m not thinking about why they are incarcerated. I find myself, instead, considering the very human and relatable range of requests, from Harry Potter to Roman history and the occasional request for an almanac, and sensing in the hand-written letters how meaningful these books are to them. Reading the letters have reinforced to me that there are more to people than their circumstances or their societal labels.
Talking with other volunteers and researching more on the subject, I’ve learned a lot more about the challenges that exist getting books to prisoners and prisons’ policies, written or not, to preventing inmates from reading. The other half of this story is the relentless efforts and compassion of the people at prison book programs like Books To Prisoners.
Do you have any book recommendations for us? Is there anything you especially like to read in your spare time?
I lean towards fantasy, science fiction and horror (it is I, nerd), but I try to mix it up with other genres. Here are a few book recommendations, but I can probably talk endlessly about books I love:
If you’re into science fiction but need a break from deep space capital ship battles, tentacled alien invasions and time-space continuum plots, I recommend “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers. It’s a light, whimsical novella about a tea monk and a self-aware robot and highlights kindness.
The current book I’m reading is Max Ruff’s Lovecraft Country. If you’re into paranormal horror, Lovecraft Country is a blend of cults, demonic spirits and racism set in middle America during the 50s.
Are there any other parting words that you’d like to share with whoever’s reading this?
Volunteering at Books To Prisoners has been an incredibly rewarding experience, from helping me cultivate compassion and empathy, expanding my unknowledge of the prison system, and learning that Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb are the same person. I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t mention the sense of community that I found with the volunteer regulars and the great hosts and staff. I’m fairly shy and socially awkward, but it’s hard not to be pulled into conversations because everyone is so warm and friendly. All-in-all, whether you want to chat with other volunteers or just work undisturbed with your headphones on, you’re welcome and appreciated.