Despite a myriad of carceral censorship policies in all 50 states, packages of all kinds of books were successfully delivered
It’s hard to quantify the effect that a gift of a book has on a person living behind the walls of prisons in the United States. Last year Rogue Liberation library successfully sent 2,686 packages to people in prisons, with three books in each parcel. That comes to a grand total 8,058 books delivered in 2023.
Increased restrictions, book bans, and other forms of censorship make it very difficult for incarcerated people to access reading materials. One lesser known rule includes that books cannot be sent from residential addresses and must overcome many “content nuetral” restrictions that vary from state to state. Rogue Liberation Library (RLL) stays up-to-date on policy changes and navigates the regulations to successfully deliver packages to people in more than 15 states in both Federal and State prisons.
Evidence of the profound effect that books have on people’s lives are documented through the hundreds of thank you letters that Rogue Liberation Library receives. Julio Garcia writes:
“Books are my best friends. I’ve recently been building a relationship with my five year old daughter…I share the material I learn with her, she is so smart. Books are literally changing my life. Thank you.”
Julio Garcia lives in a prison in Texas.
“Reading Between Bars,” an article published by PEN America, offers an in depth look at the complexities of restrictions that inhibit reading materials to reach their intended recipients. “Carceral censorship is the most pervasive form of censorship in the United States. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the departments of corrections (DOCs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia censor literature – and the rationales they employ for censoring books are vast and varied.”
People living in prisons can access a vetted publication that lists RLL as a resource, complete with the group’s post office box address where people can write letters to request books. Once a request letter is received, volunteers identify the most appropriate books available and send them in packages to inmates in State and Federal prisons at no cost to the recipient. The group receives hundreds of requests each month and fills as many as possible on a limited budget. To find the best titles, dedicated volunteers comb used bookstores to find specific titles and receive book donations from supporters.
A barrier to expanding the program and filling more of book requests includes finding reliable sources of funding to cover rising postage costs. Generosity from local people along with two successful grants fueled the program in 2023, but foundation grants remain limited, so the group must rely on individual supporters and an all-volunteer staff to fulfill their mission.
While the program’s requests have historically come from prisons for men, this year brought more requests from women. In 2023, 162 packages of books were sent to women Federal and State prisons in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and West Virginia.
Gently used, like new, or new paperback books can be dropped off at RLL’s “book donation bin” accessible 24 hours a day at the bottom level of Peace House, at 543 S. Mountain Avenue in Ashland. Monetary donations for RLL can be made securely online, or checks can be PO Box 524 Ashland, OR 97520.
Note: RLL accepts paperback (no hard covers, please) books in gently used, like new, or new condition. We cannot accept books with notes, highlighting, underlining, or stains, or books that contain nudity or gang related material. We created a Guide to Donating Books that you can download here.
