DCBookstoPrisons

DCBookstoPrisons, 23 days ago to books

We send books only to people incarcerated in the United States. Fortunately, there are similar groups in other countries. This article describes a group collecting books for prisoners in Manitoba, Canada. (Unlike us, the group provides books only to prison libraries. We mostly serve individuals behind bars, although we also send books to prison libraries from time to time.)

https://www.chvnradio.com/articles/book-drive-helps-raise-funds-for-prison-libraries-committee-and-bar-none

#Books #Prisons #Manitoba

DCBookstoPrisons, 1 month ago to KindActions

Thank you to everyone who has donated books from our wish lists. The books will be sent to people like Ahmad in California, who sent us a letter a few days ago saying: "Words cannot describe how grateful I am about your organization sending us books. From the deepest of my heart THANK YOU!"

There is still time to donate and have your donation matched.

Politics and Prose: https://www.politics-prose.com/wishlist/960

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/wishlists/a641ac4a61f8bc1f8a0da919f50c47ed25c4abfa
#Gratitude
#BooksToPeopleInPrison
#IndieBookstoreDay

DCBookstoPrisons, 1 month ago to books

April 27, 2024 is Independent Bookstore Day! In celebration of this event, a generous donor will match books purchased from two of our wish lists April 27 - May 14, 2024:

Politics and Prose: https://www.politics-prose.com/wishlist/960

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/wishlists/a641ac4a61f8bc1f8a0da919f50c47ed25c4abfa

#BooksToPeopleInPrison #IndieBookstoreDay #books #prisons #reading

DCBookstoPrisons, 2 months ago to KindActions

We received the following letter from Dennis, a grateful reader who is incarcerated in Texas:

"In this crappy world, sometimes the best thing to do is read a book! I want to thank y'all for sending books to those of us who can't afford to get any."

#gratitude #reading #books #prisoner #prison #thanks

DCBookstoPrisons, 2 months ago to books

Some jails allow book shipments from Amazon and big-box chains, while denying book shipments from independent bookstores. Now, an independent bookstore, Avid Bookshop, has filed a lawsuit alleging that this is unconstitutional.

https://flagpole.com/featured/2024/03/19/avid-bookshop-sues-gwinnett-jail-over-refusal-to-accept-book-shipments/

#jail #censorship #books #FirstAmendment #FourteenthAmendment #AvidBookshop

DCBookstoPrisons, 4 months ago to books

Do you have used books that you would like to donate to us? We accept book donations in our workspace in Washington DC every Wednesday 6-8pm (except federal holidays and snow days). See http://dcbookstoprisoners.org/donate-books for details on the types of books we seek.

As of 1/23/2024, one in every 33 Americans had an active coronavirus infection. Either we or you could unknowingly be infected. To keep everyone safe, please wear a mask when dropping off books. Thank you!

#washingtondc #books

DCBookstoPrisons, 7 months ago to random

Prison Banned Books Week takes place October 25-31, 2023. To learn about prison book bans, check out either of the following quick reads:

Article by @guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/25/most-banned-books-list-us-prisons

Press release by PEN America: https://pen.org/press-release/new-pen-america-report-u-s-prisons-ban-staggering-numbers-of-books/

Have time for a longread? Check out PEN America's lengthy report: https://pen.org/report/reading-between-the-bars/

Want to read even more? Check out PEN's Prison Banned Books Week page, which includes links to a test and many articles: https://pen.org/campaign/prison-banned-books-week-2023/

#PrisonBannedBooksWeek

DCBookstoPrisons, 9 months ago to random

We receive many letters from incarcerated readers expressing what books mean to them. One of this week's letters came from Joshua in Virginia, who wrote: "Getting a new set of books from you all really brightens my days here."

DCBookstoPrisons, 9 months ago to random

Concerning news from Missouri:

The Missouri Department of Corrections is about to implement a policy requiring prisoners to purchase their own books. This is a problem because many prisoners are indigent and have no money with which to buy books. (Prisoners in Missouri who work while incarcerated can earn as little as $7.50 per MONTH!)

https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-08-29/missouri-prisons-ban-friends-and-family-from-sending-books-to-prisoners

DCBookstoPrisons, 9 months ago to random

Ever wonder what books are banned in North Carolina's prisons? The News & Observer has published a short list of banned books. Titles include:

• Birth of a White Nation: The Invention of White People and Its Relevance Today

• Brain Games Sudoku Large Print

• The Death of Captain Marvel

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article278167482.html

When we send books to incarcerated people, we have to keep these bans in mind. It can be a challenge keeping track of the bans in all 35 states we serve!

DCBookstoPrisons, 10 months ago to random

Folks are sometimes surprised that our wish lists include titles typically read by junior high school students. This article by a prisoner explains why we sometimes seek books that are aimed at younger readers:

https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/08/prison-experiences-female-inmate-solitary-confinment-texas.html

Article excerpt: "The average education level of the women at my unit, Lane Murray, is seventh grade, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. I suspect that number is much lower for many of the young women held here in solitary with me."

DCBookstoPrisons, 10 months ago to random

#introduction

DC Books to Prisons is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free books to individual prisoners. We also develop and support prison libraries. Our work is done solely by concerned volunteers using donated time and resources. We are located in #WashingtonDC.

We anticipate posting about the following:

• Books we love and/or need;
• Articles about books in prisons (including censorship issues);
• Letters from the people we serve;
• Our organization's events.

DCBookstoPrisons, 10 months ago to random

We are delighted to have joined Mastodon, and look forward to reconnecting with people we knew on Twitter and also making connections with new people.