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 2023 edition linked here.

Resource Category
RedBird Books-to-Prisoners

Dedicated to providing Ohio prisoners with free books and reading materials. Send requests by subject with priority to individuals incarcerated in Ohio.


Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs
Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners

UC Books to Prisoners is an Urbana, Illinois based project providing books at no cost by mail to inmates in state and federal prisons, as well as in two county jail libraries in Illinois. Serves people in Illinois only.


Educational Resources, Free Books Programs
Wisconsin Books to Prisoners Project

Wisconsin Books to Prisoners is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that sends books free of charge to state and federal prisoners in Wisconsin. Does not respond to email inquiries. Please request by genre or subject category. Sends to Wisconsin only.


 


 


Educational Resources, Free Books Programs
Women's Prison Book Project

Provides women and transgender persons in prison with free reading materials covering a wide range of topics. WPBP also has a free resource guide for women and trans prisoners and a newsletter which publishes prisoner articles. Partners with Black and Pink Minneapolis' pen pal project (see LGBTQ resouce section). Ofrecen materiales de lectura en Español. Only serves women and trans prisoners.


Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs

Pages