Sentences: Book Donations to Prison Libraries and Juvenile Detention Centers discussion
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so I may have asked this before but wouldn't supermax prisons need books to I mean they don't get out but one hour a day. I know they cant accept hardbacks.
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I wonder how we could get more people to be more enthusiastic about this because I think its a great idea. Im going to ask some of my friends on goodreads to join this group. I mean every one has someone they know who is in prison, everyone.
or should I say has gone to prison be it a friend, relative, or a friend of a friend.
Hi Jodell, thanks for inviting me.
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https://www.facebook.com/sentencesboo...
Just as an update, it's getting more and more difficult to get prisons' permission to post online. State policy often dictates they can't solicit to the general public, and most consider a posting by me a solicitation, even though I'm a third party. However, if you have a specific prison in mind, I can attempt to get donation instructions and give you that information directly, which would be within their guidelines. I may or may not be successful, as past has proven, because often certain prisons don't accept donations via mail, don't need donations, etc. But I can try, especially if you have a donation planned.
Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "Hi Jodell, thanks for inviting me."thank you for joining paganalexandria. I don't know what I can do but hope to help somehow.
Jodell wrote: "Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "Hi Jodell, thanks for inviting me."thank you for joining paganalexandria. I don't know what I can do but hope to help somehow."
Yeah unfortunately I have had family members do time, but know the one thing they never have a problem discussing is the books they read while away.
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thank you for joining paganalexandria. I don't know what I can do but hope to help somehow."
What a compelling reason to donate. Paganalexandria, mind if I borrow that? "The one thing they never have a problem discussing is the books they read while away."
Clinton wrote: "Jodell wrote: "Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "Hi Jodell, thanks for inviting me."thank you for joining paganalexandria. I don't know what I can do but hope to help someho..."
No I don't mind, go for it.
Hello. ☺I've been on Goodreads for some time and recently came across the following BookRiot article with some good tips and informational links: Donate Your Books to Prisons: What, Why, and How
Thought it was a great cause and I'm happy to have found a place here on GR about it. Looking forward to being a part of the group.
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Hi, everybody! This is my first time here. I am the founder of a prison outreach called GRAYBARS PROJECT, and I am here to see what you guys do in hopes my volunteers and I can participate in a book donation project through our church. Any opportunities in Chicagoland or near the Indiana state line?
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Clinton, thank you so much for the info! I was just dipping my toe into this pond, but I like what I am hearing, and it seems easy to participate. I'm just surprised the libraries allow used materials. I have a couple of friends in prison, and the facilities are real sticklers for having any reading materials be shipped NEW, straight from the book distributor so there will be no chance of smuggling in contraband.
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Thanks for the warm welcome and the helpful info. I contacted a local juvenile detention center here in IL, and they were eager to have my group do a book drive to help stock their library! We will kick off next Sunday at church! YAY! This time last week I didn't even know such programs existed, and now here we are riding this train with the rest of you good people. I love it!
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Hi! I'm in the US, have a young friend in jail, a young man, reading disabled, loves books with lots of pictures, sports, basketball. I've asked him a couple of times if I couldn't send him a YA novel geared to meet him where he was, reading wise, and he's finally agreed to give it a shot. So I'm looking for suggestions for what to send him. I'd guess he reads on a third-grade level or so, but he's very mature (he offended very young, grew up in prison and I respect the way he's cared for himself, maintained his dignity). If anyone has any idea of a book that can interest an adult mind at a lower reading level, let me know? This means a lot to me, because he won't be leaving anytime soon, and he needs to build an interior life, if you know what I mean? I know you do.
Great group, glad to know you. And thanks.
Great group, glad to know you. And thanks.
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I've been thinking about what book might be good, and my guess is he'd like a graphic novel of some sort. I'll come back and leave another reply if I can think of the right title, but I would recommend bringing your question to a librarian at a public library or an employee at a book store. They can probably think of a hundred good choices off the top of their head.
Thanks for joining the group!
Glad to be here. I've thought about graphic novels, but I'd have to make sure, as I know you know, how they're constructed, no staples. Thanks for responding. I do have a friend in the children's department of the local library, and I am going to check with her. Thanks much.
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I just came back from Barnes and Noble and I think I got a very good recommendation for your friend. It's "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander. I took a look in the store (didn't buy it) and it looked excellent. Award winning, the right reading level, positive, and even basketball-themed. It's structured like poetry, so someone who's reading disabled won't be bogged down by a dense page full of small-font words. If you do buy it for your friend, you'll want to inquire about the hardback vs. softcover policy at his facility. Some places don't allow hardcover books; some do (a hardcover can be used as a weapon). I was looking at a hardback in the store. Not sure if it's available in softcover yet. Here's a link:
The Crossover
Clinton wrote: "AnnLoretta,
I just came back from Barnes and Noble and I think I got a very good recommendation for your friend. It's "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander. I took a look in the store (didn't buy it)..."
Thank you. Amazon's got soft cover, which is what I need. I'm going to look at more books by this author, too. Thanks, Clinton.
EDIT: Whoops, comes out in March. Well, he'll need a new one by March. I hope!
I just came back from Barnes and Noble and I think I got a very good recommendation for your friend. It's "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander. I took a look in the store (didn't buy it)..."
Thank you. Amazon's got soft cover, which is what I need. I'm going to look at more books by this author, too. Thanks, Clinton.
EDIT: Whoops, comes out in March. Well, he'll need a new one by March. I hope!
Hi everyone! I would like to commend everyone here in this group for even having the desire to help these people have some form of entertainment and get away from the miserable circumstance in which they find themselves by losing themselves in a book.Kudos to you all!
So...I do know this group is about prisons and juvenile detention centers, etc. and I'm hoping I'm not posting amiss...but one thought: What about local psychiatric facilities? Unfortunately, I know from experience that many of the facilities don't have much in the form of passing time while there, almost all residents aren't there voluntarily, and those who are, once in, there is no getting out until released.
So in the meantime, some facilities do have therapy groups and a few of them have 1/2-1 hour recreation groups like art therapy, music therapy, etc. BUT during other times, which is the majority of the stay, too much time is spent sitting around doing nothing.
A lot of those people in there do have intelligence and most can read. Some are in for depression, bipolar, or other illnesses that don't usually impede a little time for self-entertainment by losing themselves in a book. It is time well spent and for those in depression, it could be helpful for their circumstance.
Though I love this idea to donate to the locations for which this group was created, I have already donated all my paperback books! (I will go to the thrift stores and acquire more, though). I took a huge box to the University Neuropsychiatric Institute and they were so grateful for the donation! Being there myself and loving to read, I really had very little to choose from and the few books that were there, were actually being read by other patients. So I know they would be of good use.
Just a thought. I know it is a little bit off the subject of the group. But it is charitable and appreciated just the same.
Your thoughts?
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You're very welcome! I'm just glad when i can contribute in some way. And thank you for making the calls! This morning i found the wwebsite for the Utah state hospital. There was a place to leave a message and your email so i asked just what i said above. I'll let you know what they say. I have found that the state hospitals aren't as nice as the private ones and could probably benefit more.
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I was able to get in contact with a psych center and get some donation info. I just posted a prison in Iowa, so I'm not going to post the psych center right away because I like to give each posting some time at the top. In the next few weeks I will post the psych center in the Donation Instructions section of this group, but here's the info right now if anybody's interested in donating:
Mail to:
Western State Hospital Library
9601 Steilacoom Blvd SW
Lakewood, WA 98498
Needs:
Comics and magazines, preferably published in the last two years (magazines are used for reading but also arts and crafts projects).
Also popular YA books such as Rick Riordan's Olympians series or the Lemony Snicket series, or anything similar.
Just keep in mind that comics, magazines, and anything with advertisements will make a shipment ineligible for the media rate from the Post Office. Even one comic book in a box full of books makes the shipment ineligible. Separate shipments will probably save you some money if you also donate books.
What not to send:
Hardbacks. And don't send the usual stuff - nothing that encourages violence, nothing sexually graphic, etc.
No donation form is required.
Look for the official post in a few weeks, but the info will be the same. Thanks Heather for the great suggestion!
Clinton wrote: "Hi Heather,I was able to get in contact with a psych center and get some donation info. I just posted a prison in Iowa, so I'm not going to post the psych center right away because I like to give..."
That's awesome, Clinton. Thank you for finding this and including all the details.
I want to thank you, Clinton, for keeping this group as well as the Facebook group current and accessible. I have many boxes of books I will be donating over the next few weeks and this site has made it so much easier to accomplish.Many years ago I sent several boxes of book donations to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility for women in Oregon, but since then I have lost the contact information. It was very difficult getting the information in the first place, tho' I was assured at one point that there was a library at the facility. Would you be interested in trying to contact them for possible donation information? If you can't, that's okay, there are plenty other facilities to donate to listed here.
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Thank you Janice! That's exactly why I started this group... it can be very difficult and frustrating to get reliable information on donating books to prisons, so I'm glad it's helped! And thank you for donating. I'll see if I can contact Coffee Creek.
I thought I Posted these two links just now, but can't find them even after refreshing the page, so I apologize if they appear twice.I did a search of the posts in this group and couldn't find MA or RI when I checked the full state names, but I found this.
https://prisonbookprogram.org/resourc...
Are you familiar with this?
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I did a search of the posts in this group and couldn't find MA..."
Thank you Karin! I guess I don't have any Massachusetts or Rhode Island based prisons listed. You mentioned two links, but I only saw one: the one to the prison book programs "other prison book groups" tab. I don't know if I've seen that before; I'm not certain. What I do with this site is link donor with library, getting the most accurate, specific, reliable information possible. But the donation goes to fulfill the library's needs, not to individual inmate's. The site you posted looks good for the latter. I'm glad you shared it because I've now contacted them to see if they'll include Sentences in the list on the link you sent. And having their link here is good for our donors if they prefer to donate to individual inmates. The more exposure for both groups, the better. Thank you!
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Janice,
I was able to talk to the librarian today at Coffee Creek. I'll have a posting up within a day or two. Here's the short version:
-They're looking for any new fiction (last 2-3 years) including any Nora Roberts
-Soft or hard cover okay
-No spiral bound, no true crime
-No donation form required, but please include the Sentences slip if possible (from the photos section of our site)
-Mail to 24499 SW Grahams Ferry Rd, Wilsonville, OR 97070
Thanks for donating!
Clint
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Coffee Creek is posted.
-Clint
Clinton wrote: "Karin wrote: "I thought I Posted these two links just now, but can't find them even after refreshing the page, so I apologize if they appear twice.I did a search of the posts in this group and co..."
I should have edited! This page has a number of prisons you can donate books to. The MA and RI ones are listed on this one page--initially I had both links and then realized I didn't need them. There are others there as well, and perhaps some you've already posted about.
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I did a search of the posts in t..."
Thank you!
Clinton wrote: "Coffee Creek is posted.-Clint ..."
Thank you!
Also, I have a question about magazines. I have a stack of This Old House magazines that are in excellent condition, but I notice that "building or construction" is listed on some of the restricted book items. Do you know if these magazines are appropriate for any of the prisons? Maybe a transition facility? Or maybe I should just donate them to the library.
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-Clint ..."
Thank you!
Also, I have a question about magazines. I have a stack of This Old House magazines that are in excellent condition, but I notice th..."
Those could possibly be rejected if you sent it to a prison. One of the postings in the donations instructions thread is a psychiatric facility (not a prison) that holds approximately 900 patients. I would recommend sending it to them. Look for the posting on Western State Hospital, a psychiatric center in Lakewood, WA. I think they'd be a good fit for your This Old House magazines.
Clinton wrote: "Look for the posting on Western State Hospital, a psychiatric center in Lakewood, WA. I think they'd be a good fit for your This Old House magazines. ..."Great idea. That's what I'll do, thank you.
many prisons have ebooks for sale for prisoners to buy and read for 99 cents or so. i have written two books i would like to be available to them. As an excon, i am aware of the needs and preferences of inmates, more than staff at the prisons themselves. As a social justice advocate and activist, i would like my nonfiction to be available to the men who do read and learn in prison, and who may be interested in being forces for change as well. Michael Kahn EXPOSING THE MONEY MACHINE
THE UNTOLD NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY
http://truthforceinternational.org
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Thanks Michael. This will be new territory for me, as I have not heard much about ebooks in prisons before. However, I will make this something I ask about when I speak to librarians in the future. If they have an ebook system in their prison, I will be in touch to see if we can work something out.
Hello,I have a bunch of magazines that I would like to donate. They are intellectual and Christian in nature. I am located in New England. Could you offer suggestions as to which prison to send the magazines?
Thank you.
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I have a bunch of magazines that I would like to donate. They are intellectual and Christian in nature. I am located in New England. Could you offer suggestions as to which prison to send t..."
Hi Deborah!
I think Central Mississippi and Fluvanna (in Virginia) would both be really good fits for your donation, but if you're looking for something a little closer, Bedford Hills (NY) would also work. Check them out on our "Donation Instructions" tab, and you should get all the info you need. You might only see the first five, but you can expand the page by clicking on "Donation Instructions" to get the first 30, and there's also a page 2 of the Donation Instructions with more listings. Unfortunately if the magazines have advertisements, the shipment won't qualify for the media rate. Any questions, just let me know. And thank you for donating!
Clint
We're just getting started here, but the goal is to network readers (with used books they'd like to donate) with prison librarians and juvenile detention centers. Prison librarians, feel free to post your needs and donation policies, websites, etc.
This is the first part of the project. As of January 29, 2014, there's no other form of website or social media with this group, but that will change over time.
Update! Facebook page created: https://www.facebook.com/sentencesboo...
Note that I am not an employee of a prison facility or juvenile detention center, but here are some general guidelines that apply to donating books to most prisons and juvenile detention centers:
-Every facility has different donation guidelines. It helps to learn those guidelines prior to donating, or your donation may be rejected, and may not be returned to you. It can be very difficult to contact certain facilities as many do not have voicemails, or readily accessible contact info online. Hence this group.
-Hardcover books are often not accepted at facilities.
-Donating to a prison library or juvenile detention center is a lot less complicated than donating directly to an individual in the facility. We will focus on the former. If you know someone specific you'd like to donate to, we suggest contacting their facility directly.
-Avoid donations that are racially charged or have graphic sex or violence.
-Preferred genres are not that different than the general public, but determining the current needs from the facility's librarian makes for the most effective donation. That is one main goal of this group; the other is to network the donation policies and procedures from the librarian to the donor.
-If you'd like to donate but don't have many books, a lot can be accomplished by visiting your local thrift shop.
-When the time comes to go to the Post Office, don't forget to ask for a media rate! It won't get there as fast, but it'll save some money. Non-media cannot accompany a media-rate shipment. Ask your local post office for details.
It's very affordable to donate books to prison libraries and juvenile detention centers, and doesn't take much time if you know who to send it to. A heavy box of books doesn't cost much to ship with a media rate. It's also very easy to start your own local book drive. Simply ask the boss at work or the manager of a store if you can set up a box, then drop by a week later.
Though it's wonderful to donate to any good cause, often the incarcerated have little form of entertainment outside of recreational reading. Most do not have internet, video games, or television. They will certainly appreciate your donation!