Dear Books to Prisoners Letters From the Incarcerated

From expressions of the pure joy of reading, through to the frustration of encountering chronic library closures and musings on the experience of incarceration, Dear Books to Prisoners—a beautiful coffee table book—showcases prisoners’ engagement with the written word.

To create Dear Books to Prisoners, Books to Prisoners Seattle solicited special letters from their incarcerated patrons, who wrote to express the meaning of access to books inside prisons. They organized these letters into six sections, each focusing on an 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.

Dear Books to Prisoners also features: A foreword by Dan Berger, an introduction by Michelle Dillon and Bo-Won Keum, as well as an afterword by Andy Chan (Books to Prisoners board member since 1994).