Donate today to support the Prison Library Project.

Many of us cannot imagine a world without books. For those currently incarcerated, books can be hard to get. Imagine spending the day in a 6' x 8' room, which you share with another inmate, without access to books. The volunteers at the Prison Library Project believe in the fundamental value of the written word. As Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote:

When the prison gates slam behind an inmate, he does not lose his human quality; his mind does not become closed to ideas; his intellect does not cease to feed on a free and open interchange of opinions; his yearning for self-respect does not end; nor is his quest for self-realization concluded. If anything, the needs for identity and self-respect are more compelling in the dehumanizing prison environment.

We receive hundreds of letters each week from inmates nationwide looking for books to read. They are looking for dictionaries to help them with academic programs, they are looking for books to inspire them, they are looking for ways to process their situation and grow as they serve their sentence.

For many, it is also an important connection to the outside world and a reminder that there are people who care and want to help them serve their time productively.

Please consider a donation to help us continue to have a positive impact on inmates nationwide.

Sincerely,

The Claremont Forum Board of Directors