Prisoners Literature Project
@prisonerlitproj.bsky.social
The Prisoners Literature Project is an inclusive, all-volunteer, grassroots nonprofit whose purpose is to encourage reading, the pursuit of knowledge, and self-determination among incarcerated people in the U.S. http://prisonlit.org
Thank you so much to @torbooks.bsky.social (and its various labels) for donating so many wonderful sci-fi, fantasy, romantasy and other genre fiction to PLP. (We can't wait to send it all to incarcerated folks looking for great new reads!)
July 19, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Thank you so much to @torbooks.bsky.social (and its various labels) for donating so many wonderful sci-fi, fantasy, romantasy and other genre fiction to PLP. (We can't wait to send it all to incarcerated folks looking for great new reads!)
Big thanks to @pegasusbooks.bsky.social on College Ave. in Oakland for putting a PLP display out and having their customers buy these great books for us to pass along to incarcerated people for free!
July 5, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Big thanks to @pegasusbooks.bsky.social on College Ave. in Oakland for putting a PLP display out and having their customers buy these great books for us to pass along to incarcerated people for free!
Thanks to @berkeleyside.org for writing this great piece on the PLP and our mission: www.berkeleyside.org/2026/07/02/b...
Berkeley’s Prisoners Literature Project has been mailing books to inmates for 4 decades
Hundreds of volunteers working out of a small Berkeley office send around 30,000 books each year to people incarcerated across the country.
www.berkeleyside.org
July 2, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Thanks to @berkeleyside.org for writing this great piece on the PLP and our mission: www.berkeleyside.org/2026/07/02/b...
We have several shelves devoted to Adventure and Travel. These books allow readers to encounter countries and cultures without leaving their cells. So many great stories to appreciate!
June 15, 2026 at 10:29 PM
We have several shelves devoted to Adventure and Travel. These books allow readers to encounter countries and cultures without leaving their cells. So many great stories to appreciate!
A nice note: "I really appreciate your time, effort, consideration and thoughtfulness in providing relief from the horrible reality of prison and hope to hear from you soon."
May 25, 2026 at 3:08 AM
A nice note: "I really appreciate your time, effort, consideration and thoughtfulness in providing relief from the horrible reality of prison and hope to hear from you soon."
This is a request that we were able to fulfill with the books shown due to all the great book donations from kind people!
Our matching grant opportunity continues through May 2nd! For every dollar spent on books we get a dollar to help with postage!
www.prisonlit.org/matching-gra...
Our matching grant opportunity continues through May 2nd! For every dollar spent on books we get a dollar to help with postage!
www.prisonlit.org/matching-gra...
May 1, 2026 at 1:15 AM
This is a request that we were able to fulfill with the books shown due to all the great book donations from kind people!
Our matching grant opportunity continues through May 2nd! For every dollar spent on books we get a dollar to help with postage!
www.prisonlit.org/matching-gra...
Our matching grant opportunity continues through May 2nd! For every dollar spent on books we get a dollar to help with postage!
www.prisonlit.org/matching-gra...
It's Independent Bookstore Day - PLP can benefit from a matching grant available for one week!
Bookstore wishlists available www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
Books purchased at the local bookstores listed below also matched!.
#PrisonBooksWishlists #IndieBookstoreDay #IncarceratedReaders
Bookstore wishlists available www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
Books purchased at the local bookstores listed below also matched!.
#PrisonBooksWishlists #IndieBookstoreDay #IncarceratedReaders
April 25, 2026 at 3:02 PM
It's Independent Bookstore Day - PLP can benefit from a matching grant available for one week!
Bookstore wishlists available www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
Books purchased at the local bookstores listed below also matched!.
#PrisonBooksWishlists #IndieBookstoreDay #IncarceratedReaders
Bookstore wishlists available www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
Books purchased at the local bookstores listed below also matched!.
#PrisonBooksWishlists #IndieBookstoreDay #IncarceratedReaders
Thanks so much, Eve and Noe Valley Books for your generosity!
March 15, 2026 at 1:03 AM
Thanks so much, Eve and Noe Valley Books for your generosity!
Someone writing from a California jail wanted to read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The jail allows NEW books only and the volunteer was so pleased to find one NEW copy on hand.
Donors and bookstore partners make these matches possible!
Donors and bookstore partners make these matches possible!
February 18, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Someone writing from a California jail wanted to read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The jail allows NEW books only and the volunteer was so pleased to find one NEW copy on hand.
Donors and bookstore partners make these matches possible!
Donors and bookstore partners make these matches possible!
This happened at a book packing session last week. We love this!
January 12, 2026 at 6:32 PM
This happened at a book packing session last week. We love this!
Many, many thanks to the volunteers, donors and bookstore partners who helped PLP in our extensive efforts to get books to incarcerated readers in 2025.
Our all-volunteer organization is sustained by your donations:
www.prisonlit.org/donate/
Our all-volunteer organization is sustained by your donations:
www.prisonlit.org/donate/
December 31, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Many, many thanks to the volunteers, donors and bookstore partners who helped PLP in our extensive efforts to get books to incarcerated readers in 2025.
Our all-volunteer organization is sustained by your donations:
www.prisonlit.org/donate/
Our all-volunteer organization is sustained by your donations:
www.prisonlit.org/donate/
The note says it all.
December 28, 2025 at 9:47 AM
The note says it all.
Reposted by Prisoners Literature Project
Our #GivingTuesday campaign is live - mailchi.mp/prisonlit/pl... - all donations matched up to $3,000, help us send more books to incarcerated folks!
November 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Our #GivingTuesday campaign is live - mailchi.mp/prisonlit/pl... - all donations matched up to $3,000, help us send more books to incarcerated folks!
Our #GivingTuesday campaign is live - mailchi.mp/prisonlit/pl... - all donations matched up to $3,000, help us send more books to incarcerated folks!
November 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Our #GivingTuesday campaign is live - mailchi.mp/prisonlit/pl... - all donations matched up to $3,000, help us send more books to incarcerated folks!
We're giving thanks for all the appreciative letters we receive from readers. It's also great to hear about programs and classes that are sometimes offered to incarcerated learners behind bars.
November 27, 2025 at 2:17 AM
We're giving thanks for all the appreciative letters we receive from readers. It's also great to hear about programs and classes that are sometimes offered to incarcerated learners behind bars.
PLP frequently receives requests for comic books, but they are very expensive to buy. When local collector Rick Clogher heard about this, he donated two boxes of beautiful comic books, in perfect condition.
We know they will bring a lot of joy!
We know they will bring a lot of joy!
November 17, 2025 at 12:34 AM
PLP frequently receives requests for comic books, but they are very expensive to buy. When local collector Rick Clogher heard about this, he donated two boxes of beautiful comic books, in perfect condition.
We know they will bring a lot of joy!
We know they will bring a lot of joy!
Reposted by Prisoners Literature Project
We Can’t Forget People Experiencing Incarceration in Our Fight for Readers’ Rights: Book Censorship News, September 19, 2025
bookriot.com/books-to-pri...
bookriot.com/books-to-pri...
We Can't Forget People Experiencing Incarceration in Our Fight for Readers' Rights: Book Censorship News, September 19, 2025
The state of book bans and censorship in American prisons. Where and how advocates can change this rampant First Amendment violation.
bookriot.com
September 19, 2025 at 5:17 PM
We Can’t Forget People Experiencing Incarceration in Our Fight for Readers’ Rights: Book Censorship News, September 19, 2025
bookriot.com/books-to-pri...
bookriot.com/books-to-pri...
A volunteer opened this thank you letter. Spanish reads:
Thank you for the books, and thanks to God for touching your hearts to help people who are prisoners... May God bless all of you for your great help, and He will reward you. May God’s peace be with all of you."
Thank you for the books, and thanks to God for touching your hearts to help people who are prisoners... May God bless all of you for your great help, and He will reward you. May God’s peace be with all of you."
November 12, 2025 at 2:34 AM
A volunteer opened this thank you letter. Spanish reads:
Thank you for the books, and thanks to God for touching your hearts to help people who are prisoners... May God bless all of you for your great help, and He will reward you. May God’s peace be with all of you."
Thank you for the books, and thanks to God for touching your hearts to help people who are prisoners... May God bless all of you for your great help, and He will reward you. May God’s peace be with all of you."
Several times a semester we host a session for local high school seniors who are taking a social justice class. This time we squeezed eleven students into our space.
These students have already visited two prisons in CA (San Quentin and Chowchilla Women's Prison).
These students have already visited two prisons in CA (San Quentin and Chowchilla Women's Prison).
October 19, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Several times a semester we host a session for local high school seniors who are taking a social justice class. This time we squeezed eleven students into our space.
These students have already visited two prisons in CA (San Quentin and Chowchilla Women's Prison).
These students have already visited two prisons in CA (San Quentin and Chowchilla Women's Prison).
In answer to his question, yes, we send free books, lots of them each month. It is our honor to help free the minds of incarcerated people through reading.
October 8, 2025 at 11:10 PM
In answer to his question, yes, we send free books, lots of them each month. It is our honor to help free the minds of incarcerated people through reading.
Please consider supporting some of our favorite local indie bookstores during Banned Books Week! Any books purchased will be matched by a generous foundation grant.
All wishlists available: linktr.ee/prisonlitproject
or: www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
#prisonbookswishlist
#BannedBooksWeek
All wishlists available: linktr.ee/prisonlitproject
or: www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
#prisonbookswishlist
#BannedBooksWeek
October 5, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Please consider supporting some of our favorite local indie bookstores during Banned Books Week! Any books purchased will be matched by a generous foundation grant.
All wishlists available: linktr.ee/prisonlitproject
or: www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
#prisonbookswishlist
#BannedBooksWeek
All wishlists available: linktr.ee/prisonlitproject
or: www.prisonlit.org/donate/#BuyB...
#prisonbookswishlist
#BannedBooksWeek
Thanks to donors, we have a range of interesting titles that we're able to send to people in prison. As the letter says: "I want to thank you for the books you’ve sent previously, always great selections. I’d love to be sent African, African-American, Native American and Indigenous history."
August 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Thanks to donors, we have a range of interesting titles that we're able to send to people in prison. As the letter says: "I want to thank you for the books you’ve sent previously, always great selections. I’d love to be sent African, African-American, Native American and Indigenous history."
As an all-volunteer organization we rely on each other to enhance and expand our efforts. One volunteer decided we should stock kids books and now we do!
Incarcerated people write to us asking for these books so they can read them over the phone to their kids or during in-person visits. 😍
Incarcerated people write to us asking for these books so they can read them over the phone to their kids or during in-person visits. 😍
July 15, 2025 at 7:02 PM
As an all-volunteer organization we rely on each other to enhance and expand our efforts. One volunteer decided we should stock kids books and now we do!
Incarcerated people write to us asking for these books so they can read them over the phone to their kids or during in-person visits. 😍
Incarcerated people write to us asking for these books so they can read them over the phone to their kids or during in-person visits. 😍
Yes, books are transporting and a connection to the world outside a cell. PLP sent him several books along with a note saying we are so glad he got in touch with our program.
July 9, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Yes, books are transporting and a connection to the world outside a cell. PLP sent him several books along with a note saying we are so glad he got in touch with our program.
This letter sent to PLP goes on to say:
"I'm very thankful for the materials that you send and I share my books when I'm done with them. LOL. I've already passed on the history book "Bad Day in History' to my buddy that loves trivia."
"I'm very thankful for the materials that you send and I share my books when I'm done with them. LOL. I've already passed on the history book "Bad Day in History' to my buddy that loves trivia."
June 30, 2025 at 3:31 AM
This letter sent to PLP goes on to say:
"I'm very thankful for the materials that you send and I share my books when I'm done with them. LOL. I've already passed on the history book "Bad Day in History' to my buddy that loves trivia."
"I'm very thankful for the materials that you send and I share my books when I'm done with them. LOL. I've already passed on the history book "Bad Day in History' to my buddy that loves trivia."