named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Book Distribution Program
Collects and mails donated paperback books to incarcerated individuals nationwide, prioritizing requests from New York and focusing on genres such as social sciences, LGBTQ+ literature, and radical political texts.
Volunteer Packing Sessions
Regular volunteer gatherings in Brooklyn to sort, process, and pack books for shipment to people in prison; includes training for new volunteers.
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Prison and Jail Literacy Support 3 activities
- Fulfilling book requests for incarcerated individualsAccepts and fulfills book requests by mail from incarcerated individuals across most U.S. states, with priority given to New York residents. The organization mails requested books, including radical literature on topics such as indigenous resistance, queer and trans sexuality, and feminism, to improve quality of life and address educational inequity.
- Organizing volunteer book packing sessionsOrganizes regular volunteer packing sessions on Tuesday evenings and once or twice a month on Saturdays, including training for first-time participants to prepare book shipments for incarcerated individuals.
- Providing resource referrals to books-to-prisons networksMaintains and shares a comprehensive list of books-to-prison programs and the states they serve, supporting broader access to similar services.
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Library Book Donation Management 1 activity
- Operating book donation and sorting programOperates a book donation drop-off site in Red Hook with scheduled availability on weekends and select weekdays. Accepts up to three medium boxes of paperback books per donation, provided they are in good or new condition and free of highlighting, underlining, margin notes, stains, or spiral binding, in accordance with prison regulations and mailing constraints.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$45K
Contributions & grants$41K91%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$4K9%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$60K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out$6K
balance sheet
Total assets$302K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$302K
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue -53.8%
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- Books Through Bars Collective Partner — Created a guide on starting a prison book program, which is shared to support the growth of similar programs.
- Center for Constitutional Rights Partner — Distributes the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook, a legal resource it co-publishes with the National Lawyers Guild.
- Columbia Human Rights Law Review Partner — Produces the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual, a legal resource made available through the organization's resource list.
- Freebird Books Partner — Provides mailing address and logistical support for book requests
- Inside Books Project Partner — Publishes a resource guide for incarcerated individuals, which is linked and shared by the organization.
- National Lawyers Guild Partner — Coincidentally co-publishes the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook with the Center for Constitutional Rights, a resource shared by the organization.
- New York Public Library Partner — Collaborates by utilizing its published resource guide for formerly incarcerated individuals returning to New York City.
- Prison Activist Resource Center Partner — Maintains a comprehensive resource guide on advocacy, legal, health, and abolition resources for incarcerated people.
- Prison Book Program Partner — Produces the National Prisoner Resource List, a resource guide shared by the organization.
- Prison Books Collective Partner — Co-created a guide on starting a prison books collective, which is shared to support new initiatives.
- Prison Legal News Partner — Provides publications and digital access to Prison Legal News magazine for incarcerated individuals and advocates.
- Prison Policy Initiative Partner — Offers research and data on mass incarceration for public education and policy improvement.
- The Marshall Project Partner — Shares in-depth journalism and investigative reporting on criminal justice and prison book banning policies.
- The Sentencing Project Partner — Provides research and advocacy resources on criminal justice reform and sentencing policy.
- info@booksthroughbarsnyc.org Partner — Email address for donation approval and inquiries
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Bridging to Counteract Isolationmethodology: community-bridgingBy connecting incarcerated individuals with books and external supporters, we reduce psychological and social isolation, because sustained connection to outside resources and people fosters empowerment and resilience during incarceration.
- Decentralized Movement Building for Prison Book Programsmethodology: movement-building through resource sharingBy sharing resources and training guidance, we enable the creation of local prison book collectives, because decentralized, community-driven organizing expands access more sustainably and responsively than centralized distribution alone.
- Harm-Reduction Through Book Accessmethodology: harm-reductionBy distributing books to incarcerated individuals, we mitigate the educational and social harms of isolation, because access to reading materials supports cognitive engagement and psychological resilience in restrictive environments.