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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.
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Alabama Books to Prisons Project Run through the Burdock Book Collective, this program fulfills book requests for people incarcerated in Alabama prisons. LGBTQA friendly: "As queers and allies ourselves, we aim to provide a space for personal expression and communication free from homophobia and transphobia. Alabama only.
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Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Appalachian Prison Book Project Sends free books and provides educational opportunities to people incarcerated in the Appalachian region. We serve six states: Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Request by topic area or title, and we will do our best to find a good book for you. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Asheville Prison Books Sends free reading material to folks incarcerated in North Carolina and South Carolina, including county jails, detention centers, state prisons, and federal facilities. They do not have a catalogue, but try to match requests to books as best they can. Serves people in North Carolina and South Carolina only. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Athens Books to Prisoners Athens Books to Prisoners is a volunteer-run organization that sends free books to prisoners in Ohio only. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Big House Books A volunteer-run nonprofit sending books to inmates in Mississippi correctional facilities since 2015. Mississippi only. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Books Behind Bars - New Jersey A grassroots, volunteer-run prison abolition project that provides free books upon request to people incarcerated in New Jersey prisons. Please include your name, ID number, facility name, address, and the kind of books you want. Since all of our books are donated, we can't guarantee exact titles (though we do our best). New Jersey only. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Books Behind Bars - Virginia Serves people incarcerated in Virginia only. Write with requests for up to three books per month. They will do their best to fulfill all requests, but cannot guarantee specific title availability. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Books Through Bars Free books across the Eastern Seaboard. If possible, please review organization's website for updated information before contacting. Sends to DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA & VA only. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Books to Prisoners (Seattle) Provides free reading materials to incarcerated individuals. Most books are used; limited access to new books. Write directly to request (no requests by email or phone). Typical turnaround is 2+ months; people in short-term facilities should note in their request how long they anticipate being incarcerated. May request every 3 months. Include several choices of preferred subject, genre, or author. Libros en español rara vez disponibles. Serves people nationwide. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |
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Books to Prisons Alabama Provides free books and magazines for the incarcerated in AL & TX only. No County or local jails. Write to request by genres, authors or subject matter. |
Books, Magazines, and Publishers, Free Books Programs |