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.
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The Journey of a Book: What Happens to the Books We Mail to Incarcerated Readers
What happens to the books that we mail to incarcerated people? They are loved, cherished, shared, and read until they fall apart.
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A State-by-State Report: Letter Scanning Legislation in Appalachian Prisons and Jails
Across the United States, prisons and jails have passed legislation that replaces physical correspondence with digitally scanned or photocopied replicas.
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How Much Does It Cost to Read a Free Book on a Free Tablet?
Prisons and jails across the country have started offering “free” electronic tablets to people behind bars. But these devices contain hidden costs.
APBP sends free books to people imprisoned in six Appalachian states (West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Maryland), hosts book clubs inside prisons in our region, and is leading an effort to bring for-credit college courses into prison.
Our Impact
Since 2004, we have mailed over 65,000 books.
100 imprisoned people 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.
Why You Should Not Dress as a “Prisoner” or “Inmate” This Halloween
Wearing a “prisoner” or “inmate” Halloween costume is dehumanizing, perpetuates racist stereotypes, and trivializes the real lived experiences of incarcerated people.
Welcoming a New Prison Book Club
APBP has launched a new book club—our first since the pandemic began. Learn about our plans to gather and talk about literature in prison.
A Threat to Education Anywhere Is a Threat to Education Everywhere
The situation at WVU is more a time of turmoil than transformation. Here, we attempt to put our fears and frustrations into words.
In many ways this [book club] and your time/effort have been an emotional and intellectual lifeline for me.
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.)
Thank you for providing books directly to prisoners free of charge. Yours is a great service, especially for those whose library’s collection is meager, outdated, or otherwise inadequate and who simply do not have the funds to buy books out of their own pockets.