Challenging mass incarceration through books, education, and community engagement.
Thousands of Appalachians voted in Appodlachia’s 2020 award show, and we’re excited to announce that the Appalachian Prison Book Project was named the Appalachian Organization/Non-Profit of the Year!
Read More “APBP Is the 2020 Appalachian Nonprofit of the Year”
“War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.”
So goes the official slogan of George Orwell’s Oceania, a hyper-surveillance-based police state underpinned by the illogic of doublethink.
Read More “How Much Does It Cost to Read a Free Book on a Free Tablet?”
APBP is taking on our next big challenge: creating and supporting credit-bearing college courses for incarcerated students. And we need your help.
Our work emanates from two interconnected premises: education is a basic human right, and engaging the community in educational justice efforts is a requisite component to building sustainable restorative justice models.
Since 2004, we have mailed over 45,000 books.
100 imprisoned people (75 women, 25 men) and 27 volunteers have participated in our book clubs.
30 incarcerated students have earned WVU college credit.
We’ve hosted 25+ wrapping parties for community volunteer groups.
But don’t just take it from us. Hear what our friends on the inside have to say about our work.
“I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.” — Malcolm X When…
During my first year in the Master of Social Work program at West Virginia University, I was required to complete an internship within the community. I wanted to work with an organization that supported and helped people in prison, so…
Words diamonds on pages of gold A message from heaven as their story is told, “We love you, miss you, pray you’ll be free.” A treasure-filled envelope just for me. Please bring memories of joy I once knew Family, friends…
Because of your book program sending me Michie’s West Virginia Code Annotated, I was able to litigate an amended sentence order from life without parole to eligibility for parole after serving 15 years. In other words, you helped save my life. Thank you.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. You have indeed put some sunshine in my rather drab life imprisoned as I am here on Death Row.
I have passed the first book I received on to two others so far, and plan to do so until the cover falls off! (The library here can fix it up when I donate it.)