Prisoner Resources

BOOKS TO PRISONERS PROJECTS
jump to:
West Coast
Mid-West
East Coast

West Coast

CA
San Diego Coalition for Women Prisoners
c/o Groundwork Books
0323 Student Center
La Jolla, CA 92037

Women Prisoners ONLY. Books on women's issues only.
Write to request a book list - please include a stamp for postage.

Books For Prisoners
c/o Groundwork Books
0323 Student Center
La Jolla, CA 92037

Books on politics, culture and selected novels.
Write to request a free book list - please include a stamp for postage.

Prisoners Literature Project
c/o Bound Together Books
1369 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117-2908

Free Books To Prisoners
c/o Serve The People
P.O. Box 29670
Los Angeles, CA 90029-0670

WA
Books to Prisoners
c/o Left Bank Books
92 Pike St. Box A
Seattle, WA 98101-2095

Mid-West

IL
Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project
c/o Boxcar Books and Community Center
310A S. Washington St.
Bloomington, IN 47401-3529

OH

MN
Women's Prison Book Project
c/o Arise Bookstore
2441 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55405-3335

UT
Books Through Bars
c/o Experienced Books
2150 S Highland Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84106-2807

TX
Inside Books Project
c/o 12th Street Books
827 W. 12th St.
Austin, TX 78701-1701

Texas prisoners ONLY.

East Coast

MA
Prison Book Project

Prison Book Program
c/o United First Parish Church
1306 Hancock Street, Suite 100
Quincy, MA 02169

www.prisonbooks.org
prisonbookproject@riseup.net

Sends ONLY to prisoners in Massachusetts.

Prison Book Program

POB 396
Amherst, MA 02116-5302

Distributes the National Prisoner Resource List booklet.
This is one of the best informational resources available
in the U.S. for prisoners. It is jam packed full of addresses
and contact information for groups, organizations, magazines,
newsletters, etc. related to prisoners and prison issues.
There is no set charge for the NPRL, and it will be sent free
on request, but a $1 donation (stamps OK from prisoners) will
cover the printing and mailing cost.

Email The Prison Book Program at:
info@prisonbookprogram.org

MD
D.C. Books to Prisons Project
c/o The Quixote Center
DC Books to Prisoners
c/o Quixote Center
P.O. Box 5243
Hyattsville, MD 20782

NC
Prison Book Program
c/o The Readers Corner
31 Montford Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801-2529

Southeastern US states ONLY

NJ
Prison Watch
c/o American Friends Service Committee
972 Broad Street, 6th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102-2585

NY
Books Through Bars - NYC
c/o Clovis Press
229 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Ships to prisoners nationwide. Specializes in political
and history books. Occasionally sends fiction and educational
books. Does not send religious literature. Donations of stamps
and cash are appreciated. If you send a money order, please
make it out to the groups fiscal sponsor: ABC No Rio.

Books Through Bars - Ithaca
c/o Durland Memorial Alternative Library
403 N. Plain St.
Ithaca, NY 14850-4054

New York prisoners ONLY.

PA
Books Through Bars
4722 Baltimore Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19143-3503

Serving only those prisons in the midatlantic bioregion

Book 'Em
PO Box 71357
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Pennsylvania prisoners ONLY.
Also have a prisoner published magazine, Hubris from Somerset
state prison in Somerset, PA, available for a small fee. Also a state-wide resource guide was published in 2007.

Canada
Livres Aux Prisonnier(e)s
a/s GRIP Concordia
2130 Mackay
Montreal, QC H3G 2J1
bookstoprisoners@excite.com

Canadian prisoners ONLY.

Books to Prisoners
c/o Joint Effort
PO Box 78005
Vancouver, BC
V5N 5W1 Canada

Canadian prisoners ONLY.

PUBLICATIONS ETC.

• OREGON: Justice Matters and The Prison Index are two publications put out by the Partnership For Safety and Justice. Justice Matters provides resource listings to prisoners in Five Northwestern States. Justice Matters is a quarterly paper that has in depth analysis of issues going on in the prison reform movement, with a focus on the Northwestern states. Go to their website to download the pdf files of these or to order the Prison Index, a semi-biennial wealth of statistical information that is invaluable when helping people understand the seriousness of the situation around incarceration in the U.S. - statistics about all kinds of aspects around prisons are included in this reference guide. To get either of these online in pdf form, go to: www.partnershipforsafetyandjustice.org
• CALIFORNIA: The Other Side Of the Wall - contains relevant and regularly updated news, articles, and writing by prisoners. Focus is on California prisons, but the information provided on the death penalty, the situation around juvenile offenders and resources, including books, video & music and a link to prison radio is relevant for people wanting to understand life behind bars from all over.
• CALIFORNIA: Prison News Network - was designed to be a Public education tool. The Prison Reform Unity Project (which holds a march every October) is included in this network, along with the regularly updated CDC Info Network page that supports family & friends of people incarcerated in California, giving latest updates and Calls to Action items. emphasis is on California State Prisons. This site is updated frequently, so check back often to get the latest prison related news. www.vip-cali.com
• NATIONAL: Prison Legal News(PLN) is a monthly newsletter whose editor, Paul Wright, was formerly incarcerated in Washington State. The PLN has been regularly published since May of 1990. PLN covers prison-related news and analysis from across the country and around the world. It's focus is on prison struggle in all arenas. Visit their web site for more information about the newsletter, contact addresses, and "how to subscribe". prisonlegalnews.org
• NATIONAL: Prison Survival Manual -Are you headed for prison? Do you have family or friends who are? This book is filled with tips and suggestions that will benefit the new inmate. Its written by inmates who've been there and know the score. Visit this site for more information and ordering instructions.
• CYBERSPACE:The Cell Door - an internet magazine written by prisoners for a free audience. With sections on Poetry, Women's Issues, Humor, Fiction, Art, Spirituality, African-American, Rehabilitation, Sports and Reader Response, this magazine appeals to a wide variety of interests.
• NATIONAL: Common Sense Justice - This Site dedicated for people to voice their opinions on our Justice System in Amerca and the world. "To see injustice and not speak out...IS INJUSTICE" (J.W.CLAUD)
• NATIONAL: Justice Denied - the Magazine for the Wrongly Convicted. Justice Denied is dedicated to is dedicated to the daughter of Clara A. Thomas Boggs (the editor) and to all innocent people in prison. They have two goals. The most pressing goal is to fund the search for truth in these cases. Their other goal is to educate the public about the current state of the criminal justice system.
• INTERNATIONAL: Criminal Justice Matters is CCJS's quarterly magazine dedicated to bringing you the latest news and opinion from the criminal justice world. Every issue focuses on a particular aspect of criminal justice and features articles from leading academics and practitioners. It is free to members of CCJS (Center For Crime And Justice Studies). CCJS recently opened a news website, crimeinfo.org with statistics and analysis of causes of crime and effectiveness of current systems of dealing with crime by comparing world-wide strateies. Both these sites are well-worth going to; This information is hard to find, and is being actively suppressed.

• WRITE BEHIND BARS - Everyone needs a friend, especially the 2 million + people behind bars in this country. Please take the time to find & write a new friend today.
• Prisoner Pen Pal Database - ORAC,- right here... write now.
  This web site provides a free service to prisoners looking for pen pals.
• WELCOME TO PRISONANGELS. Started by the wife of an inmate, a woman who wanted to make a difference, PrisonPals is a free service for all inmates and penpals wanting to correspond with each other. The inmates on this list are without family and friends to write to. Please open your heart and write to these men and women. Let them know that they are not alone in this world.
  ~Over 18 Please - Use good Judgement~
• At...OUTLAWS - ON - LINE...you can have your own Web Page with a color photo as well as a profile about yourself. Millions of people world wide can each day search our site. Inmates have successfully used personal ads such as this to solicit legal and financial aid, find friendship, love and support systems to have upon release.
• Larry "Doc" Stanberry, runs a Christian web site with a lot of heart. He says, "The primary purpose of our site is to let you know about the 400,000+ Viet Nam veterans that are incarcerated. It is a free service to both inmates and outmates, and you can even send your letters via the web site if you feel unsafe writing to an inmate. I vividly remember the 60's and Viet Nam. I was against the war, but not against the soldiers who served their country. I chose a pen pal, and hope it helps (in a very small way) let the Veterans of that war know that I did appreciate them and what they went through." Please visit them...SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS.

• OREGON: Razor Wire Phoenixes Prison Arts Project - Adrienne Fritze conducts In-prison workshops at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Oregon's prison for women. These workshops are integrated into existing therapeutic and training programs at the invitation of the program manager or facilitator. During workshops, we explore our beliefs (attitudes, opinion and judgements) about crime and punishment, imprisonment and freedom, responsibility and accountability - and take a look at what doesn't work, and what we can put in its place that will work - for us as individuals and as a society.
• WASHINGTON: Tom and Alana Campbell live in Everett, Wa where they have been chaplains, bible teachers, prophets and evangelists since 1991. Skylark Of The Morning On-Line Gallery - a part of their ministry, has artwork for sale. Proceeds help further the spiritual counseling, artistic education and rehabilitation of prisoners, poor, sick,etc. in various institutions and circumstances worldwide, distribution of gospel materials to third world countries, spiritual counseling to alcoholics, and drug addicts, and to make clothing and necessities available to orphanages.
• NATIONAL: Prison Art was created (and is being maintained) by Ed Mead, a former political prisoner, member of the George Jackson Brigade, organizer of Men Against Sexism, who was incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, who co-founded Prison Legal News, and is a long-time prisoner rights activist. Prison Art is a non-profit website created to provide an online outlet for the sale of crafts and artwork created by prisoners. Inmate artists from throughout the U.S. can post there works within. Each item of art or craft is posted with the artist's name, and in some cases a very short biography of the artist is included. To Find out more write or email: Prison Art
  Prison Art Project
  P.O. Box 69586
  Seattle, WA 98168-9586
  Phone: 206-271-5003
  E-Mail mead at prisonart dot org
• NATIONAL: Gangs: Prison Art shows different artistic styles and educates folks about Gangs, why kids join them, what to expect, and other insights about Gang Life.
• NATIONAL-DEATH ROW: Cell Block Visions - prison art in america - A collection of inmate artwork, created behind bars, from county jail to death row... the alternative artworld flourishing today in American prisons. Men and women inmates, having no previous training, turn to art for a sense of self-worth, an opportunity to vent rage, a way to find peace. They transcend the cramped space, limited light, and narrow vistas of their prison studios. They triumph over security bans with ingenious resourcefulness - extracting color from shampoo; making paint out of M & Ms; weaving with cigarette wrappers.
• The Outsider Pages ... That should be no surprise. Labels like "prison art" and "outsider art" are essentially biographic. They don't reflect meaningful conditions under which art is made. Life circumstances, bizarre or not, do have an enormous effect on the character of an artist's work In fact, prison art shares with self-taught outsider art key qualities that do give such labels meaning. Most important, there is the extent to which style and technique are not simply choices made by these artists but the culmination of a (usually) lonely struggle to express.
  
• CYBERSPACE:Prison Talk Online Photo Gallery - Prison Art Gallery intermingled with Chat Options... a confusing site that requires you login to engage in online discussions... This site has been around a few years & appears to be a place where discussions can be had about prison issues, but it's hard to tell...