Books To Prisoners is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a love of reading behind bars, encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-empowerment, and break the cycle of recidivism. We believe that books are tools for learning and for opening minds to new ideas and possibilities, and engage incarcerated individuals with the benefits of reading by mailing tens of thousands of free books to inmates across the country each year. In 2015, the City of Seattle recognized Books to Prisoners as a Human Rights Leader.

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We receive approximately 1,000 requests for books each month. We only accept requests through the mail. The most popular are dictionaries, thesauruses, African American history and fiction, Native American studies, legal materials, genre fiction such as fantasy and horror, and foreign language learning materials (particularly Spanish).  Other common requests include vocational-technical manuals, ancient history, scientific textbooks, art and drawing books (including blank notebooks), and books on paranormal phenomena. Books to Prisoners relies on books donated by community members to answer these requests, so please consider making a donation to help a few of the thousands of individuals who request books each year.  Please note: we have limited storage space. If you wish to donate more than two boxes of books, contact us first at bookstoprisoners@live.com to make sure we have room.

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Books to Prisoners depends on a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering with our organization for years–or even decades! Volunteers work five shifts each week to find books in our collection that fulfill prisoner requests, wrap packages of books to be mailed, and sort donations of books. In 2012, our volunteers received a Light a Fire award in recognition of their immense dedication.

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Books to Prisoners was founded in the early 1970s and is sponsored by Left Bank Books. As one of the largest and oldest prison book projects in the country, Books to Prisoners works in partnership with other groups that support prisoner literacy and promote social justice. Though our headquarters are in Seattle, we have three associate organizations – Portland Books To Prisoners, Books To Prisoners Olympia, and Books to Prisoners Spokane – who offer opportunities for volunteers and donors outside of Seattle.