Sol began an internship with Books to Prisoners in January 2023. She has redone much of our signage and our visual guide to where books can be found by subject.
What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way?
I first learned about BTP through my major’s internship database, Law, Societies & Justice at the University of Washington. As I explored the website and reached out to inquire about interning, I was excited about the possibility of combining my love for literature with direct action to support incarcerated individuals. I have loved reading ever since a young age, and I am a creative writing student in addition to my LSJ major, so the environment at BTP of being surrounded by books each day is right up my alley! Overall, studying the state of the criminal justice system in university while volunteering with BTP has reinforced my views on the need for services like those BTP provides.
Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite parts of the process?
Finding a direct match with a book a prisoner requested or being able to send out one of the books I love reading is probably my favorite part of the process. The satisfaction of knowing that you were able to accurately match a prisoner’s request reinforces the value of the work BTP does by providing prisoners with informational materials and creative outlets they may not otherwise receive. Additionally, I have enjoyed becoming familiar with the space and all of the unique books housed in each shelf. There are so many authors and book topics that I hadn’t heard of before a prisoner requested them, so expanding my knowledge through answering letters and searching for the perfect fit is like a treasure hunt.
What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way?
I first learned about BTP through my major’s internship database, Law, Societies & Justice at the University of Washington. As I explored the website and reached out to inquire about interning, I was excited about the possibility of combining my love for literature with direct action to support incarcerated individuals. I have loved reading ever since a young age, and I am a creative writing student in addition to my LSJ major, so the environment at BTP of being surrounded by books each day is right up my alley! Overall, studying the state of the criminal justice system in university while volunteering with BTP has reinforced my views on the need for services like those BTP provides.
Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite parts of the process?
Finding a direct match with a book a prisoner requested or being able to send out one of the books I love reading is probably my favorite part of the process. The satisfaction of knowing that you were able to accurately match a prisoner’s request reinforces the value of the work BTP does by providing prisoners with informational materials and creative outlets they may not otherwise receive. Additionally, I have enjoyed becoming familiar with the space and all of the unique books housed in each shelf. There are so many authors and book topics that I hadn’t heard of before a prisoner requested them, so expanding my knowledge through answering letters and searching for the perfect fit is like a treasure hunt.
Everybody starts off by responding to letters, even if they eventually move on to wrapping or other tasks. Some of the letters can be memorable. Are there any requests that surprised you, or that you remember standing out in any way?
My favorite letters are those that request books related to Taylor Swift, but given that those have been few and far between, a close second was a letter I read about a writing group a prisoner founded with several of his fellow inmates. They started the group with the goal of providing a creative outlet for incarcerated individuals at their facility to express themselves through writing and gain skills in the craft by leading activities and giving peer suggestions. He wrote about how this group was a support system he had come to rely upon for friendship in addition to writing advice, and he wanted to grow the group so others could experience the same sense of community-based learning and connection. It was a wonderful feeling to give their group a package of writing books that they could use for education and expansion in the future.
In the time that you’ve been here, do you think that your views on the prison system, or what it’s like to be incarcerated, have changed? Please feel free to talk about those views if you would like.
I have been taking multiple courses on criminal justice and philosophies of punishment at the same time as volunteering with BTP, which have deepened my understanding of the factors involved in the United States’ current system of mass incarceration. My views on what it is like to be incarcerated have been influenced by many of the letters I’ve read from prisoners describing the living conditions they experience while incarcerated, and I have been particularly surprised to read about the frequency of solitary confinement practices and minimal resources for healthy creative expression.
Do you have any book recommendations for us? Is there anything you especially like to read in your spare time?
Absolutely! When I’m not studying, I enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and poetry.
Some books I’ve enjoyed recently include:
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Normal People by Sally Rooney
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire
And any books by Sarah J. Maas!
Are there any other parting words that you’d like to share with whoever’s reading this?
Thank you for reading!