This is an non-comprehensive list of other organizations that provide books or other free resources to prisoners. Asheville Prison Books is not associated with these projects. Please reach out to let us know about other organizations or if any of these groups has become defunct.
Books
Alabama
Books to Prisons, Birmingham, AL (Serves TX and AL)
Arizona
Read Between The Bars, Tucson, AZ (Serves AZ)
California
Books for Prisoners at UCSD, San Diego, CA (Nationwide except MA)
Prison Library Project, Claremont, CA (Nationwide except MA)
Prisoners Literature Project, San Francisco, CA (Nationwide except TX)
UC Davis Books to Prisoners, Sacramento, CA (Serves CA, FL, NY, OR, PA, and TX)
DC
DC Books to Prisons Project, Washington, DC. Serves:
- DC residents in any federal prison.
- Federal prisons in AZ.
- State and federal prisoners in all states except AZ, CT, FL, IL, MA, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VT, WA, and WI.
Florida
Gainesville Books to Prisoners, Gainesville, FL (Serves FL)
Open Books Prison Book Project, Pensacola, FL (Serves FL)
Illinois
Chicago Books to Women in Prison, Chicago, IL. Serves:
- Women’s state prisons in AZ, AL, AR, CA, CT, FL, IL, IN, KY, MS, TN, VT, WA.
- All Federal women’s prisons.
- Trans women being housed in men’s prisons everywhere.
Liberation Library, Chicago, IL (Serves youth in all Illinois youth prisons and some youth jails)
Midwest Books to Prisoners, Chicago, IL (Focuses on states in the midwest, but answer all requests)
Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners Project, Urbana, IL (Serves IL)
Indiana
Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project, Bloomington, IN (Serves AR, IA, IN, KS, ND, OK, and SD)
Kentucky
Louisville Books to Prisoners, Louisville, KY (Serves KY and VA)
Louisiana
Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners, New Orleans, LA (Serves AL, AR, LA. Women and LA prisoners are prioritized.)
Massachusetts
Great Falls Books Through Bars, Greenfield, MA (Prioritizes TX and CA; serves everywhere else EXCEPT AZ, CT, ID, IN, LA, MA, ME, MS, PA, WI, jails.)
Prison Book Program (prisonbookprogram.org), Quincy, MA (Serves All US states. Federal prisons only for CA, MI, and TX.)
Minnesota
Women’s Prison Book Project, Minneapolis, MN (Serves women, trans, and nonbinary prisoners nationwide).
Mississippi
Big House Books, Jackson, MS (Serves Mississippi only)
Missouri
Liberation Lit, Kansas City, MO (Serves MO & KA)
Missouri Prison Books, St. Louis, MO (Serves Midwestern states)
Nebraska
Lincoln Prison Book Project, Lincoln, NE (Serves specific prisons in NE)
New Jersey
Books Behind Bars, Wildwood, NJ (Serves NJ)
New York
Books Beyond Bars, New York, NY (Serves NY only)
Buffalo Books Though Bars, Buffalo, NY (Serves NY and TX)
NYC Books Through Bars, New York, NY (Serves All US states except AL, FL, LA, MA, MI, MS, NC, OH, and PA with a priority on NY)
Prison Books Project, Beacon, NY (Serves NY)
Saxapahaw Prison Books, Brooklyn, NY (Serves GA)
North Carolina
Asheville Prison Books Program, Asheville, NC (Serves NC, SC)
NC Women’s Prison Book Project, Durham, NC (Serves women in NC)
Prison Books Collective Publishing and Distribution, Carrboro, NC (Serves AL, men in NC, Feds in AL, KY, MD, NC, TN, VA, and WV; zines to anywhere)
Tranzmission Prison Project, Asheville, NC (Serves LGBTQ prisoners nationwide)
Ohio
Antioch College’s Prison Justice Library, Yellow Springs, OH (Serves OH, KY, WV, and IN)
Athens Books to Prisoners, Athens, OH (Serves OH)
Redbird Books to Prisoners, Columbus, OH (Prioritizes OH)
Oklahoma
OK Prison Books Collective, Tulsa, OK
Oregon
Portland Books to Prisoners, Portland, OR (Serves all states except MA)
Rogue Liberation Library, Ashland, OR (Serves CA, NV, OR, TX state prisons and Fed prisons nationwide)
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Prison Book Project (formerly Book ‘Em), Pittsburgh, PA (Serves PA)
Books Through Bars, Philadelphia, PA (Serves PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD, VA)
Rhode Island
Providence Books Through Bars, Providence, RI (Serves all US states except AL, AR, FL, ID, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NE, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, WA, or WI.)
Tennessee
Tennessee Prison Books Project, Nashville, TN (Serves TN)
Texas
Inside Books, Austin, TX (Serves TX prisons only, not jails)
Virginia
Books Behind Bars, Charlottesville, VA (Serves VA)
Washington
Books to Prisoners, Seattle, WA (Nationwide)
Lopez Island Books to Prisoners, Lopez Island, WA (Serves WA and AK)
West Virginia
Appalachian Prison Book Project, Morgantown, WV (Serves KY, MD, OH, TN, VA, WV)
Wisconsin
LGBT Books to Prisoners, Madison, WI (Serves LGBTQ prisoners in all states except TX)
Wisconsin Books to Prisoners, Madison, WI (Serves WI)
US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Is /St Croix Prison Library Project, Christiansted, VI (Serves St Croix)