Correspondence reading guide by mail
Point Global Outreach provides a free 29-page
Resource Directory for Prisoners. This directory provides
correspondence courses for many religions and spiritual
traditions, legal support, pen pals and more. Most organizations
in the directory offer their services, books and literature free
of charge to prisoners. To request a copy, write to:
Naljor Prison Dharma PO Box 628 Mount Shasta, CA
96067
GUIDELINES:
• Let these organizations know the book restrictions in the
prison where you are incarcerated: maximum amount of books
they allow to be received at one time? Does the prison accept
used books or new only? Paperbacks only?
• List only the subjects or types of books of interest. Books
are often donated and change every week. Distributors do their
best to send something close to what you ask for. Requests by
title or author are often challenging to fulfill.
• Please write clearly — especially your name, ID number,
and address. Include all this info on both the envelope and in
your letter.
- Beehive Books Behind Bars (Serves WA, OR, CA, ID,
NV, AZ, UT, MT, WY, CO, NM prisons only)
Weller Book Works
607 Trolley Square
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
• BBB matches book requests from prisoners to books that
have been donated to them. - The Prison Library Project c/o The Claremont Forum
915-C W. Foothill Blvd, PMB 128
Claremont, CA 91711
• The Prison Library Project mails over 15,000 packages of
books each year to inmates as well as boxes of books to prison
librarians, educators and chaplains. - Prisoners Literature Project (PLP) (Serves all of the
US except Texas prisons) c/o Bound Together Bookstore
1369 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
• Limit requests to once a year; Takes 2-4 months to respond
to requests. PLP does not have the following kinds of books:
law books and legal guides; romances; horror; Bibles and
Christian literature - Bellingham Books To Prisoners (BBTP)
PO Box 1254
Bellingham, WA 98227
• BBTP are partnered with Seattle Books To Prisoners. Last
year over 7,000 books were sent to prisoners. - DC Books to Prisons
PO Box 34190
Washington, DC 20043-4190
• Provides free books to prisoners in 35 states and supports
prison libraries. You may mail requests to us every five
months. You may request titles or authors, but since all our
books are donated, prioritized genres or areas of interest are
more likely to be filled. We don’t send legal books. Please list
prison restrictions if known. If required by your prison, please
include a pre-approval form. Please do not send requests
from more than one inmate per envelope. We do not send to
county or city jails, or to prisons in Connecticut, Florida,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont, Washington State or Wisconsin. However, we will
send to inmates from Washington DC in any federal prison. It
can take us up to three months to respond to requests. - LGBT Books to Prisoners (Serves LGBTQ prisoners
in all states except TX)
426 W. Gilman Street
Madison, WI 53703
• Sends books and other educational materials to LGBTQidentified
prisoners across the U.S. Each package contains
3-5 books, educational materials, and LGBTQ resources.
25,000 books have been sent to people in prison for each of
the last two years. - NYC Books through Bars (Serves all US states except:
AL, FL, LA, MA, MI, c/o Bluestockings Bookstore MS,
NC, OH, PA with a priority to NY prisons)
172 Allen Street
New York, NY 10002
• They match requests from prisoners to the books they have
available. - Providence Books through Bars
42 Lenox Avenue
Providence, RI 02907-1910
• Since the number one requested book is a dictionary, PBB
tries to send out as many as they can as well as thesauruses
and reference books; provide requests for as many types of
books as possible. - Women’s Prison Book Project (Serves all US states
except: CT, FL, IL, IN, MA, MI, MS, OH, OR, PA) c/o
Boneshaker Books
2002 23rd Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55404
• Provides women and transgender persons in prison with
free reading materials covering a wide range of topics from
law and education (dictionaries, GED, etc.) to fiction, politics,
history, and women’s health.
RELIGIOUS RESOURCES - Bible Truth Publishers
59 Industrial Road
Addison, IL 60101
• Supplies free Bibles in English and Spanish to prisoners - Chapel Library
2603 West Wright Street
Pensacola, Florida 32505
• Offers free Christian literature including study courses
and Bibles. Available in tracts, booklets, paperbacks and
audio tapes - Prison Fellowship
44180 Riverside Parkway,
Lansdowne, VA 20176
• Publishes Inside Journal® a quarterly publication of
Prison Fellowship that is distributed inside corrections
facilities. Written specifically for incarcerated men and
women, in both English and Spanish.
PEN PAL PROGRAMS - Human Rights Pen Pals
1301 Clay Street
P.O. Box 71378
Oakland, CA 94612
• Provides educational and supportive correspondence
between people in solitary confinement and supporters outside
the prison walls. - Lifelines to Solitary
c/o Solitary Watch
PO Box 11374
Washington, DC 20008
• Solitary Watch provides support to people in prisons living
in isolation, through its Lifelines to Solitary project. Through
personalized letters and quarterly newsletters, they keep in
touch with more than 3,000 people in solitary confinement
across the country. Write to Solitary Watch to request a pen
pal and newsletter. - Unitarian Universalist Association
CLF Letter Writing Prison Ministry
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
• Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), a part of the
Unitarian Universalists, provides ministry and correspondence
to those who are isolated. The CLF Letter Writing Ministry
matches prisoner members with non-incarcerated Unitarian
Universalist’s for an exchange of friendly letters on topics
of mutual interest. All letter writers (prisoners and “ freeworld”)
agree to the same guidelines, which emphasize
that our program is not intended for romantic, legal-aid or
financial/gift interactions. Contact the address above to
request a pen pal. - FFUP (Forum for Understanding Prisons)
29631 Wild Rose Drive
Blue River, WI 53518
• Write directly to FFUP Pen Pals to request a pen pal
volunteer. Provide some information on your background and
the areas of interest for which you would like to correspond. - National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms
P.O. Box 66301
Washington, DC 20035
• Write directly to NCPCF to request a pen pal volunteer.
MEDITATION RESOURCES - The Human Kindness Foundation / The Prison
Ashram Project
PO Box 61619
Durham, NC 27715
• Provides free books mostly written by one of its founders,
Bo Lozoff, offering spiritual guidance and support. The most
well-known of these books are: We’re All Doing Time and
Deep and Simple. Offers a free newsletter sent three times a
year called “A Little Good News” providing spiritual support
for the incarcerated. - Prison Mindfulness Institute
11 S. Angell St. #303
Providence, RI 02906
• Organizes a pen pal program between prisoners and
meditation volunteer. - Prison Mindfulness Institute and Prison Dharma
Network
11 S. Angell St. #303
Providence, RI 02906
• PMI provides books and resources on Mindfulness and
Meditation through their “Books Behind Bars” program.
PDN offers a support network in the practice of contemplative
disciplines, with an emphasis on sitting meditation practice.
Offers the principles and practices of Buddhist teachings. - Buddhist Peace Fellowship
PO Box 3470
Berkeley, CA 94703
• BPF’s programs, publications, and practice groups
link Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion with
progressive social change. Offers free meditation information
and a newsletter. - Siddha Yoga Meditation Prison Project
P.O.Box 99140
Emeryville, CA 94622
Provides the Siddha Yoga Home Study Course to inmates
upon request. Lessons are received monthly and are available
in Spanish translation. A free newsletter, study course and
resource guide are also provided. - Mindfulness Peace Project | Solitary Confinement
6800 N. 79th St, Ste. 200
Niwot, CO 80503
You might pass this on to a chaplain or psychologist:
• A mindfulness program broadcasted into isolation units (in
the CO DOC). Provides channels for education and spiritual
instruction as well.
SOLITARY TOP LEVEL - Liberation Prison Project
PO Box 33036
Raleigh, NC 27636
• Offers spiritual advice and teachings through letters,
books and various materials to people in prison interested in
exploring, studying and practicing Buddhism. - Ratna Prison Initiative
1507 Pine St.
Boulder, Co 80302
• Provides mindfulness meditation instruction through
correspondence relationships. Provides free books on
Buddhism to inmates. - Prison Contemplative Fellowship
Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
10 Park Place, 2nd Floor, Suite B
Butler, New Jersey 07405
• Teaches Centering Prayer, a receptive method of silent
prayer. It is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer.
Programs offer varying degrees of instruction, guided practice
and study. Christian orientation, however can used by anyone. - NA Behind the Walls
PO Box 1605
San Diego, CA 92176 - Sponsorship Behind the Walls
1935 South Myrtle Ave
Monrovia, CA 91016 - Criminon
PO Box 9091
Glendale, CA 91226 - Paths include Road to Happiness, Lifeskills,
Overcoming Addiction
Prison Letters 4 Our Struggling Youth
603 B East University Drive, #219
Carson, CA 90746 - Fair Chance Project (Mentorship Program)
9103 SO Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90047 - Getting Out by Going In (GOGI)
PO Box 88969
Los Angeles, California, USA 90009
Correspondence self-help guide by mail
