Wisconsin Books to Prisoners (WBTP) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a love of reading behind bars, encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-empowerment, and break the cycle of recidivism. Will send books in Spanish (enviar libros en Español). They send books to prisoners in Wisconsin only.
Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.
- Margaret Shepard |
Free Books Programs
FREE BOOKS PROGRAMS
The organizations below have provided free books and magazines to the incarcerated.
Please be aware that many programs may have changed due to COVID-19, censorship or change in prison policy.
Fair Shake’s newsletter readers (all incarcerated) have verified these organizations.
If you find any of the organizations below no longer operating as stated, I hope you will let me know so I can update the list.
I hope you find some terrific books! Happy reading ~ : )
Prison 
Book Program
c/o Lucy Parsons Bookstore
1306 Hancock Street, Suite 100
Quincy, MA 02169
Prison Book Program has been sending free books to prisoners since 1972. Books are crucial to the political, spiritual, and educational development of all people. We serve over 10,000 prisoners each year. We do not serve prisons in California, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Texas or Maryland.
Please request books either using, or responding to, attached form.
https://prisonbookprogram.org/
They curate a Free Books to Prisoners list here: https://prisonbookprogram.org/prisonbooknetwork/
Prison Book Program’s National Resource List
Inside Books Project
Inside Books Project is an Austin-based community service volunteer organization that sends free books and educational materials to prisoners in Texas. Inside Books is the only books-to-prisoners program in Texas, where over 140,000 people are incarcerated. Inside Books Project works to promote reading, literacy, and education among incarcerated individuals and to educate the general public on issues of incarceration.
Inside Books Project Resource Guide
Inside Books Project sends this Resource Guide free of charge to any inmate in Texas. To request a Resource Guide, please send a request letter to the address below:
Inside Books Project
ATTN: Resource Guide
P.O. Box 301029
Austin TX 78703
https://insidebooksproject.org/
If you would like to DONATE gently used books to them, please find out how to do so here: https://insidebooksproject.org/donate-books
Wisconsin Books to Prisoners
Books to Prisoners
c/o Social Justice Center Incubator
1202 Williamson St #1
Madison, WI 53703
WI Books to Prisoners flyer for the incarcerated
LBGT Books to Prisoners Project
1202 Williamson St.
Madison, WI, WI 53703
https://lgbtbookstoprisoners.org/
We are happy to send books to members of the LGBTQ+ community who are incarcerated in all states except TX.
California
Pages and Time – Los Angeles, CA
PO Box #66583
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Serves: Libraries at Wasco/Delano State Prisons and Chino Women’s Prison
Prison Library Project Claremont, CA
586 West First Street
Claremont, CA 91711
http://www.claremontforum.org/prison-library-project/
Serves: All US states EXCEPT MA
Connecticut
Connecticut Prison Book Connection – Rocky Hill, CT
P.O. Box 946
Rocky Hill, CT 06067-0946
https://www.facebook.com/ctprisonbook
Serves CT
District of Columbia
DC Books to Prisons Project, Washington, DC
PO Box 34190
Washington, DC 20043
http://dcbookstoprisoners.org/
Serves: state and federal prisoners in 34 states, and federal prisoners in Arizona. With the exception of DC residents in federal prisons, we do not serve inmates in CT, FL, IL, MA, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VT, WA, or WI.
Florida
Open Books Prison Book Project, Pensacola, FL
1040 N. Guillemard St.
Pensacola, FL 32501
https://www.openbookspcola.org/
Serves: FL only
Illinois
Chicago Books to Women in Prison, Chicago, IL
c/o RFUMC
4511 N. Hermitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
https://chicagobwp.org/
Serves: women and trans people in state prisons in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio, as well as all federal prisons.
Liberation Library – Chicago, IL
@ In These Times
2040 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
https://www.liberationlib.com/
Serves youth Illinois youth prisons and select jails
Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners Project – Urbana-Champaign, IL
UC Books to Prisoners
Box 515 Urbana IL 61803
http://www.books2prisoners.org/
Serves: Illinois
Indiana
Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project: Bloomington, IN
PO Box 1324
Bloomington, IN 47402
https://pagestoprisoners.org/
Serves: AR, IA, IN, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, OK, and SD
Kentucky
Louisville Books to Prisoners – Louisville, KY
McQuixote Books & Coffee
Attn: Louisville Books to Prisoners
1512 Portland Ave #1
Louisville, KY 40203
http://louisvillebookstoprisoners.org/
Serves: KY and VA
Louisiana
Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners – New Orleans, LA
3157 Gentilly Blvd. #141
New Orleans, LA 70122
https://lab2p.org/
Serves: AL, AR, LA. Women and LA prisoners are prioritized.
Massachusetts
Great Falls Books Through Bars – Greenfield, MA
PO Box 391
Greenfield, MA 01302
https://www.greatfallsbooksthroughbars.org/
Services US, except MA
Prison Book Program – Quincy, MA
c/o Lucy Parsons Bookstore
1306 Hancock Street, Suite 100
Quincy, MA 02169
https://prisonbookprogram.org/
Serves: All US states EXCEPT CA, IL, MI, MD, NV, and TX
Minnesota
Women’s Prison Book Project – Minneapolis, MN
3751 17th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
https://wpbp.org/
Serves: All US states EXCEPT CT, FL, IL, IN, MA, MI, MS, OH, OR, and PA
Mississippi
Big House Books – Jackson, MS
PO Box 55586
Jackson, MS 39296
https://bighousebooksms.org/
Serves: Mississippi only
Missouri
Missouri Prison Books Program – St. Louis
438 N. Skinker Blvd
St. Louis, Missouri 63130
Missouri Prison Book Program
MO Serves: MO
New Jersey
Books Behind Bars – Wildwood, NJ
PO BOX 2611
Wildwood, New Jersey 08260
https://www.booksbehindbarsnj.com/
Serves: NJ only
Free Magazine Subscriptions
The Sun Magazine – an award-winning, ad-free magazine of interviews, essays, fiction, poetry, and photography. They offer free subscriptions to incarcerated individuals. To request a free subscription write to: The Sun Customer-Service Dept.
P.O. Box 323
Congers, NY 10920
The Militant is a socialist newsweekly. Subscriptions for prisoners are: $6 for six months or $12 for a year. Prisoners without funds can get a free six-month subscription upon request. To get a subscription write to: The Militant
306 W. 37th St. 13th Floor
New York, NY 10018
.
New York
NYC Books Through Bars – NY, NY
c/o Bluestockings Bookstore
116 Suffolk Street
New York, NY 10002
https://booksthroughbarsnyc.org/
Serves: All US states EXCEPT AL, FL, LA, MA, MI, MS, NC, OH, and PA with a priority on NY.
North Carolina
Asheville Prison Books Program -Asheville, NC
67 N. Lexington, Asheville, NC 28801
https://avlpb.org/
Serves: NC, SC
Prison Books Collective – Durham, NC
PO Box 625
Carrboro, NC 27510
https://prisonbooks.info/
Serves: men in NC
Saxapahaw Prison Books – Saxapahaw, NC
347 S Main St
Burlington, NC 27215
https://saxapahawbooks2prisoners.wordpress.com/
Serves: prisoners in GA and NC
Tranzmission Prison Project – Asheville, NC
PO Box 1874
Asheville, NC 28802
http://www.tranzmissionprisonproject.org/
Serves: LGBTQ prisoners nationwide
Ohio
Athens Books to Prisoners – Athens, OH
30 1st Street
Athens, OH 45701
http://athensbookstoprisoners.weebly.com/
Serves OH
Oregon
Rogue Liberation Library -Ashland, OR
PO Box 524
Ashland, OR 97520
https://peacehouse.net/RLL/
Serves: OR, CA, ID, NV, TX
Pennsylvania
Book ‘Em – Pittsburgh, PA
PO BOX 71357
Pittsburgh PA 15213
https://bookempa.org/
Serves: PA only
Books Through Bars – Philadelphia, PA
4722 Baltimore Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19143
https://www.booksthroughbars.org/
Serves: PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD, VA, and WV
Rhode Island
Providence Books Through Bars – Providence, RI
42 Lenox Ave
Providence, RI 02907
https://provbtb.org/
Serves: All US states EXCEPT AL, AR, FL, IL, KY, LA, MA, ME, MS, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, WA, WI
Tennessee
Tennessee Prison Books Project – Nashville, TN
P.O. Box 22846
901 Broadway
Nashville, TN 80202
https://tnprisonbooksproject.wordpress.com/
Serves: TN only
Texas
Inside Books – Austin, TX
P.O. Box 301029
Austin, Texas 78702
https://insidebooksproject.org/
Serves: TX only
Vermont
Vermont Books to Prisoners
PO Box 234
Plainfield, VT 05667
https://www.facebook.com/VT-Books-to-Prisoners-268181000703935/
Serves: New England states
Virginia
Books Behind Bars – Charlottesville, VA
Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Library
attn: Books Behind Bars
1500 Gordon Ave.
Charlottesville, VA 22903
https://booksbehindbars.info/
Serves: VA only
Washington
Books to Prisoners -Seattle, WA
92 Pike St. Box A
Seattle, WA, 98101
https://www.bookstoprisoners.net/
Serves: All US states EXCEPT CA and MA
Lopez Books – Lopez Island, WA
P.O. Box 327
Lopez Island, WA 98261
Serves: WA and AK only
West Virginia
Appalachian Prison Book Project – Morgantown, WV
PO Box 601
Morgantown, WV 26507
https://appalachianprisonbookproject.org/
Serves: KY, MD, OH, TN, VA, WV
Wisconsin
LGBT Books to Prisoners – Madison, WI
1202 Williamson St.
Madison, WI, WI 53703
https://lgbtbookstoprisoners.org/
Serves: LGBTQ prisoners in all states EXCEPT TX
Wisconsin Books to Prisoners – Madison, WI
c/o Social Justice Center Incubator
1202 Williamson St #1
Madison, WI 53703
https://www.wisconsinbookstoprisoners.org/
Serves: WI only