Books Through Bars
We send quality reading material to prisoners and encourage creative dialogue on the criminal justice system, thereby educating those living inside and outside of prison walls.

Accomplishments

Books Through Bars is proud to have received a 2007 Phoebus Criminal Justice Initiative grant through the Bread and Roses Community Fund.

Highlights of our accomplishments for the 06-07 fiscal year:

Book Distribution

  • Provided over 8,000 book packages to self-educating prisoners, many of whom have little or no access to quality educational materials. In making this service available to prisoners, we provide them with opportunities to learn about their cultural heritage, tools to help them prepare for the GED examination, and doors to worlds and perspective they otherwise might not have encountered;
  • Sent or delivered large donations of books to 22 prison libraries;
  • Piloted an innovative project to support prisoners who mentor and tutor other inmates;

Public Education

  • Provided integrated service activities for 18 youth groups, including Girl Scouts, after-school clubs, church youth groups, student organizations, and classrooms;
  • Distributed an awareness-raising poster to libraries and prison book programs;
  • Coordinated two shows of prisoner art;
  • Enaged over 300 new volunteers in our work.

    Movement Building

    • Created a map of prison book programs to be displayed prominently on our website, encouraging site visitors to support a book program in their area;
    • Provided consultation and guidance to emerging prison book programs around the country.