Donations
With an anticipated 13,000 requests in 2016, our work is only made possible by donors like you. More than 70% of our budget goes directly toward covering the costs of postage and mailing supplies. Learn more about donating to Books to Prisoners.
Contributing Books
Top requests from prisoners:
Dictionaries (including Spanish-English dictionaries)
Thesauruses
Books on starting/running businesses
Trade books (including plumbing, electricity, carpentry, construction, auto mechanics)
Legal self-help
African-American history, studies, and fiction
GED preparation materials
Puzzle and game books (including chess, crosswords, sudoku, and role-playing manuals)
Drawing instruction, sourcebooks (including tattooing), blank notebooks
Westerns
Thrillers
Murder mysteries
Horror novels
True crime books
Books on the occult, aliens, conspiracy theories, and New Age
Volunteering
Books to Prisoners has always operated with minimal staff and relies on volunteers who donate their time and expertise. In 2012, Books to Prisoners won Seattle’s ‘Light a Fire’ award in recognition of its immense volunteer contributions. From answering letters to wrapping packages and sorting books, your help will be deeply appreciated. Volunteer Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings (6 pm to 10 pm), as well as Wednesday mornings (9:30 am-1:30 pm) in Seattle’s University District.