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Resources: Free Books Programs
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.
| Resource | Category |
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Chicago Books to Women in Prison Serves: women’s state prisons in AZ, AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, HI, IL, IN, KY, MN, MS, TN, TX, VT, WA; all women in Federal prisons, and trans women being housed in men’s prisons everywhere. Provides books in Spanish and can often get books in other languages, as well. |
Women's Organizations and Resources, Free Books Programs |
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DC Books to Prisoners Request free reading material by mail. Sends books to state and federal prisoners in AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, DE, GA, HI, IA, IN, KY, LA, MD, MN, MS, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, and WY as well as federal prisoners (only) in AR, ID, and KS and requests from DC residents in federal prisons in all states. Please wait 5 months between requests. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Great Falls Books Through Bars Provides free books to people incarcerated in Federal facilities nationwide and state facilities in CA, FL, and TX only. Write to request |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Inside Books Project Sends free books and literature to prisoners in Texas only. Also sends a very informative prisoner resource guide free to prisoners in all states. Please no SASE. Serves people in Texas prisons only. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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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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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 |