Meet Lodi, Featured Volunteer for May 2026!

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?

During the pandemic I was walking in my neighborhood and discovered the BTP sign at the old location on N. 76th Street. Intrigued, I made an appointment to donate books and was invited to a volunteer orientation. I’d recently retired after 40 years of working in education and the performing arts and had been looking for a volunteer opportunity. It was pretty much love at first sight! The seeds of my interest were planted in 1997 when I attended a performance of Pat Graney’s  “Keeping the Faith - the Prison Project” at the Washington Correction Center for Women. With guidance from professional artists, inmates shared their stories through dance, poetry, singing, and visual arts. The results were profoundly transformational. Later, Bryan Stevenson’s book, “Just Mercy” and Ken Burns’ documentary, “College Behind Bars” both made big impressions on me. I jumped at the chance to volunteer for BTP.

Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite parts of the process?

The people are fantastic. We’re quite the team!  My favorite part is the analog aspect of the process. Physically opening each letter, reading the contents, searching for requested authors, titles, or genres, are all deeply rewarding activities. The treasure-hunt can be frustrating if the perfect book can’t be found, or is hardcover (if the prison only accepts paperbacks). Yet, my “Miss Marple” nature doesn’t give up easily. I love the hunt and satisfaction of crafting an order. Fulfilling book requests is an act of listening and honoring someone who is desperate for connection to the outside world. We never know when a life might be changed by a book.

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?

Early on, an inmate wrote, “even your worst day is better than mine”. That’s stuck with me. The letters that stand out, and often choke me up, are the many filled with gratitude for BTP. Inmates who request books about challenging subjects like biochemistry, or how to learn a foreign language, or mechanical engineering surprise me and are a reminder that just because someone is locked up doesn’t mean they’ve given up. I’m moved by the inmates who write that they are committed to improving themselves. The sheer volume of letters can be overwhelming. Yet, one book at a time might give a person hope that makes all the difference. 

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.

My eyes have been opened in many ways. Thinking deeply about prison wasn’t on my radar prior to volunteering. Now I seek out information.  The scope of dehumanization inherent in the U.S. prison system appalls me.  At BTP we navigate endless and seemingly arbitrary restrictions designed to limit inmates’ access to books. I’m heartened though by BTP’s persistence. I’ve become aware of how sending books to inmates can be a stance against oppression. I definitely don’t take my freedom for granted anymore.

Do you have any book recommendations for us? Is there anything you especially like to read in your spare time?

Oh, so many books! In recent months I’ve enjoyed reading Donna Tartt’s “A Secret History”, Ursula Le Guin’s “No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters” and Claire Keegan’s “Small Things Like These.” Other highly recommended books: Mark Haddon’s “Leaving Home”, Sally Mann’s “Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs”, Kate Atkinson’s “Life After Life”, James Clear’s “Atomic Habits”, William Niall’s “Four Letters of Love”, Julian Barnes’ “The Sense of an Ending”, Jim Whittaker’s “A Life on the Edge” and Vonda Wright’s “Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Aging With Power.”

Are there any other parting words that you’d like to share with whoever is reading this?

For over 20 years Pat Graney’s “Keeping the Faith - the Prison Project” has offered workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and performances for women in prison all over the world. For more information: http://www.patgraney.org/education/keeping-the-faith