Resources: Books, Magazines, and Publishers
PARC corresponds with and mails a directory of these resources to prisoners, their friends and family members. We are often the first point of contact for people to connect with prisoners' rights organizations, community organizations, prison literature and arts projects, family and visiting resources, health care and legal resources, parole and pre-release resources, and the prison abolition movement.
Download a PDF copy of the April 2026 Edition here.
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LGBT Books to Prisoners Volunteer-run organization that sends books and other educational materials, free of charge, to LGBT-identified people in prison across the US. Enviar libros en Español. Sending 2 packages of books per year in 2026. Prefers requests by topic, but can occasionally fulfill specific requests. Serves all states except Texas (and state prisons where rules prohibit all book donations). |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Liberation Library The only organization that provides books of their choosing to youth in Illinois prisons. Volunteer-run. Write for a catalog of options. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Lopez Books Books to prisoners program serving Washington and Alaska only. Send with general requests by genre and/or topic. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners Mail your book requests, please include a few preferred topics, genres or favorite authors. Our all-volunteer program sends books to people incarcerated in Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas, though not all facilities allow books from us. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons, MIM(Prisons), is a revolutionary anti-imperialist group fighting criminal injustice, helping prisoners to organize and educate themselves. Sends books to prisoners, and offers prisoners a free subscription to their newspaper. Write for a free prisoner subscription and to get involved in revolutionary organizing and education projects. No tablet messaging apps. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Newsletters and Magazines |
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Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project Provides free books and zines to prisoners the Midwest. In your letter, please tell us what genre and type of reading material you are interested in. Include your name, DOC#, facility name, mailing address, any restrictions on books being sent to your facility. Sends books to people in prison, jail or juvenile detention centers in AR, IA, IN, KS, ND, OK, and SD. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Missouri Prison Books Program end your book requests by USPS mail only. We cannot accept email requests. As of 2026, not currently not able to send books into Missouri prisons. Serves those in the Midwest - Kansas, Illinois, and Indiana - outside of MO.
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Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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NYC Books Through Bars Volunteer-run group that sends free books to incarcerated people across the nation. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Open Books Prison Book Project The Prison Book Project sends free books to indigent prisoners in Florida prisons. Florida only.
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Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Pathfinder Press Pathfinder Press is a publisher which carries books on the works of revolutionary and working class leaders, in many different languages. Prisoners receive a 50% discount off the cover price, with a flat rate of $2.75 for shipping and handling per order (one or more titles). Write for a free catalog. Catalog includes books in 11 languages. Pathfinder Press also sells many books in Spanish and can correspond with prisoners in Spanish. Serves people internationally. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Vendors and Publishers |