Our first publication, Dear Books to Prisoners is a compilation of letters we’ve collected and solicited from our incarcerated patrons, discussing both our work in particular and prison literacy in general. From expressions of the pure joy of reading to the frustration of encountering chronic library closures and musings on the experience of incarceration, this coffee table book showcases prisoners’ engagement with the written word.  We organized these letters into six sections, each focusing on a different aspect of reading, education, and incarceration. Original letters are reproduced in full alongside excerpts from letters and information about the history, operations, and context of prison book programs across the country.

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Dear Books to Prisoners also features:

• A foreword by Dan Berger (associate professor at the University of Washington Bothell and creator of the Washington Prison History Project);

• An introduction by Michelle Dillon (Books to Prisoners board member and former Books to Prisoners program coordinator) and Bo-Won Keum (co-editor and book designer);

• An afterword by Andy Chan (Books to Prisoners board member since 1994).