HOW CAN SOMEONE IN PRISON REQUEST BOOKS?

People in prison can write us a letter (via Post Office) and ask for books. The letter should include their name, address, and inmate ID number. It is best to request genres of books rather than specific titles.

CAN SOMEONE IN PRISON REQUEST SPECIFIC BOOKS?

We encourage people in prison request genres instead of specific titles. The books in our library vary widely depending on who donates them. We cannot guarantee that we have a specific title in stock.

CAN I REQUEST BOOKS FOR SOMEONE I KNOW IN PRISON?

No. We only fulfill requests directly from people in prison.

DO YOU PROVIDE BOOKS TO PRISON LIBRARIES, PRISON CHAPLAINS, OR OTHER PRISON STAFF MEMBERS?

No. We do not have the capacity to do so. It is prohibitively expensive to send large quantities of books through the mail.

DO YOU SERVE ALL STATES OR JUST ARIZONA?

We currently only serve people incarcerated in Federal facilities in the State of Arizona. Arizona Department of Corrections does not allow us to mail books to state prisons.

HOW DO PEOPLE IN PRISON HEAR ABOUT YOU? DO YOU ADVERTISE?

Because we have never advertised our services, we can only guess. We are occasionally listed on resource lists for people in prison circulated by other organizations. People often say they heard about us from other people in prison or contacts on the outside. And, with every book package we mail, we send an information sheet that can be shared with friends and cellmates.

WHAT KINDS OF BOOKS DO PEOPLE ASK FOR?

All kinds of books. We find that with a few exceptions, the reading interests of folks in prison mimic those of the general public. Popular titles include small business startup, drawing and art, manga, exercise, fiction of all kinds, and much more. Please note, we cannot send any books with any nudity of any kind, whatsoever, including art or cartoon nudity.

WHAT KINDS OF BOOKS DO YOU HAVE AVAILABLE?

Our selection of books depends on what people donate. Fiction and non-fiction topics available vary widely.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC TITLES YOU CANNOT SEND?

Although we do not have an official “banned” books list, we do not send books that include nudity, gang-related topics, true crime, Nazi-related subjects, white supremacy, misogynistic, racist, or discriminatory literature. We also cannot send any books that are torn, stained, water-damaged, falling apart, written in, hardcover, or spiral-bound. This informative article about books banned in Arizona’s prisons include a list of some books that have been banned: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2019/10/28/arizona-department-corrections-bans-over-5-000-individual-publications-state-prisons/2460441001/

WHERE DO YOU GET THE BOOKS YOU SEND TO PEOPLE IN PRISON?

Nearly all our books are donated by individuals just like you. Occasionally, publishers and authors donate extra copies of their books. Periodically, we trade donated books we cannot use or that are not often requested at a local used book exchange.