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Books to Prisoners is an umbrella term for several projects and organizations that mail free reading material to prison inmates. The first Books to Prisoners project was founded in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1973; there are approximately twenty similar projects in the United States and Canada. There is no centralized organization; in keeping with the anarchist cultural roots of the project, each one runs autonomously.
The projects accept donations of books from bookstores and individuals. The project solicits letters from prisoners requesting books, usually by genre or by naming a preferred author. Project volunteers read the letters and reply with a few books taken from the project's collection. There is no cost to prisoners.
Generally, all mailing and administration is done by volunteer labor. Many of the projects are affiliated with a local independent bookstore in their home city, which provides a drop-off place for donors, and sometimes a small supply of books as well. Postage for mailing the books is a major expense that must be met through donations.
Often-requested materials include dictionaries, how-to and educational books, and historical works, especially those focusing African-American, Latino, and Native American history.
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