Books on a bookshelf at DC Books to Prisons.

Every person deserves
access to books.

Founded in 1999, DC Books to Prisons provides free books to individual people in prison. We also support prison libraries and book clubs. Our work is done solely by unpaid volunteers using donated time and resources. DC Books to Prisons is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Washington DC.

Book packages/year

6,000+

500+

Prisons served

32

States
Donate now

Books as a bridge, for those often forgotten

Books being donated to prisons with attached letters

DC Books to Prisons works to provide a wide variety of informative, educational and enjoyable reading material, free of charge, to people incarcerated in US prisons. We prioritize those in under-served regions and respond to individual requests, whenever possible including short personal notes (which are sometimes as important as the books we send). Efforts include selected secondary projects to address the gap in resources and access to reading material.

We believe that books can change lives. They can change the way people view the world, other people, and themselves, provide an education, provide a vocabulary, and open minds to new possibilities.

Learn about our work

  • Thank you for everything that you do. You have no idea how much this not only means to us, but also helps us. Please don't ever stop.

    Robert, Tucson AZ

  • Thanks for offering books to incarcerated individuals free of charge. Our society needs more of you, and your organizations, to promote culture and education through books.

    Maurice, CA

  • I am 43 years old, from Winston-Salem NC, and I am…discovering that positive, constructive reading can transform the mis-formed negative mentality into an open, objective-minded, reality-based personality

    Darren, Raleigh NC

  • I greatly appreciate your help and assistance on my journey. May peace rest in your heart and soul…Knowledge gained, knowledge not shared, is knowledge abused!

    David, Clifton TN

  • The books you have sent to so many prisoners have changed countless lives and helped them to escape the world of prison. Additionally, many books have become educational and I have personally seen may prisoners become interested in what they have read and often ask questions concerning the topic. In a way, this restores my faith in humanity, forgiveness and compassion.

    Stephen, Pampa TX

  • I would like to thank you and your coworkers for all that you do to help incarcerated people. You all are a blessing to all of us, and I appreciate all that you do.

    Rafael, Corcoran CA

Someone siting at a table taping up packages to send.

There are many ways to make a difference.

Volunteer

Join us at our DC workspace to sort donations, pack book packages, and process requests from incarcerated readers.

Sign up to volunteer

Donate Books

We accept gently used books in most genres. Fiction, nonfiction, legal resources, and educational titles are always needed.

See what we need

Donate Money

Your donation covers postage, supplies, and helps us buy books that are in high demand but short supply.

Give a gift

Keep up with us on Instagram!

We have a new website! So much big thanks and appreciation to @ottodierig and @dcivitas for all the help from start to finish in getting this needed update done! Check it out at dcbookstoprisons.org (check out linktree in bio). #BooksToPeopleInPrison
We have a new website! So much big thanks and appreciation to @ottodierig and @dcivitas for all the help from start to finish in getting this needed update done! Check it out at dcbookstoprisons.org (check out linktree in bio). #BooksToPeopleInPrison
Indeed. A letter from Texas.
Indeed. A letter from Texas.
Big Thanks to everyone who donated books to DC BtP over the last week! This was our most successful book drive ever and that could not have been done without all of you. We also want to thank our partner indie bookstores for their support! We couldn&
Big Thanks to everyone who donated books to DC BtP over the last week! This was our most successful book drive ever and that could not have been done without all of you. We also want to thank our partner indie bookstores for their support! We couldn’t have done this in the first place without you! Always remember that each book donated and sent to an incarcerated person means more than just giving somebody something to read, it offers them hope, education, and escape, and remind them they are not alone in the world. We always take monetary or book donations – linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio) #BooksToPeopleInPrison #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstoprisons
Don’t wait any longer! Tomorrow is the last day of our matching book drive. Help improve someone’s life by donating books purchased in�store or online with all which will be cash matched by a generous donor. We need new condition books mo
Don’t wait any longer! Tomorrow is the last day of our matching book drive. Help improve someone’s life by donating books purchased in�store or online with all which will be cash matched by a generous donor. We need new condition books more than ever. Help us out and support an independent bookstore at the same time! Check out our online wishlists here – linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio) #BooksToPeopleInPrison #instabooks #bookstagram #PrisonBooksWishlists
We'll be here May 2! Come by and say hi and expand your perspectives! Check it out here - bol.coop
We'll be here May 2! Come by and say hi and expand your perspectives! Check it out here - bol.coop
Independent Bookstore Week keeps moving on! Solid State Books, at 600F H St NE and 14th & S Street NW in Washington DC, is a full�service, Black-owned general interest bookstore and a great supporter of DC BtP. We need new condition books more
Independent Bookstore Week keeps moving on! Solid State Books, at 600F H St NE and 14th & S Street NW in Washington DC, is a full�service, Black-owned general interest bookstore and a great supporter of DC BtP. We need new condition books more than ever, and until May 2 all books bought for us from our online wishlist will be cash matched! Support Solid State Books and our work at https://linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio) #BooksToPeopleInPrison #IndieBookstoreDay #PrisonBooksWishlists
Independent Bookstore Week keeps going! BOL Co-op, at 716 Monroe St NE Studio #11, Washington, DC (Brookland), is a worker-owned community bookstore and café rooted in global racial justice. You can support BOL Co-op and DC BtP through May 2 b
Independent Bookstore Week keeps going! BOL Co-op, at 716 Monroe St NE Studio #11, Washington, DC (Brookland), is a worker-owned community bookstore and café rooted in global racial justice. You can support BOL Co-op and DC BtP through May 2 by buying a book in�store or from our online wish list at linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio), with every book bought for us matched with a cash donation. Everybody wins! #BooksToPeopleInPrison
People’s Book, at 7014 Westmoreland Ave Suite A, Takoma Park MD, is a mom-and-pop bookstore and a very appreciated supporter of DC BtP. Restrictions on what books we can send in are getting stricter by the month, and new books are needed more t
People’s Book, at 7014 Westmoreland Ave Suite A, Takoma Park MD, is a mom-and-pop bookstore and a very appreciated supporter of DC BtP. Restrictions on what books we can send in are getting stricter by the month, and new books are needed more than ever. You can support People’s Book and DC BtP through May 2 by buying a book in-store or from our online wish list at linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio), with every book bought for us matched with a cash donation. #BooksToPeopleInPrison #bookstagram #instabooks
For us, Independent Bookstore Day lasts the whole week! Lost City Books, at 2467 18th Street NW Washington, DC (Adams-Morgan) "is the place for explorers, for deep divers, who want the books they find to take them to a new horizon.” Throug
For us, Independent Bookstore Day lasts the whole week! Lost City Books, at 2467 18th Street NW Washington, DC (Adams-Morgan) "is the place for explorers, for deep divers, who want the books they find to take them to a new horizon.” Through May 2 you can support Lost City and DC BtP by buying a book in-store or from our online wish list at linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio), with every book bought for us matched with a cash donation. Help us send books to the incarcerated and support an independent bookstore at the same time! #BooksToPeopleInPrison #instabooks #bookstagram #donatebooks #IndieBookstoreDay
Keep Indie Bookstore Day going! Through May 2 all books bought for us from these indie bookstores will be matched with a cash donation, and today 4/26 all shipping is free! Check out our wish lists at linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio) or stop by the stor
Keep Indie Bookstore Day going! Through May 2 all books bought for us from these indie bookstores will be matched with a cash donation, and today 4/26 all shipping is free! Check out our wish lists at linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio) or stop by the store and tell them to hold it for us to pick up! More prisons are requiring us to send new books, so help us out and a local bookstore at the same time! #IndieBookstoreDay #bookstagram #BooksToPeopleInPrison #instabooks #donatebooks
We have a new website! So much big thanks and appreciation to @ottodierig and @dcivitas for all the help from start to finish in getting this needed update done! Check it out at dcbookstoprisons.org (check out linktree in bio). #BooksToPeopleInPrison Indeed. A letter from Texas. Big Thanks to everyone who donated books to DC BtP over the last week! This was our most successful book drive ever and that could not have been done without all of you. We also want to thank our partner indie bookstores for their support! We couldn& Don’t wait any longer! Tomorrow is the last day of our matching book drive. Help improve someone’s life by donating books purchased in�store or online with all which will be cash matched by a generous donor. We need new condition books mo We'll be here May 2! Come by and say hi and expand your perspectives! Check it out here - bol.coop Independent Bookstore Week keeps moving on! Solid State Books, at 600F H St NE and 14th & S Street NW in Washington DC, is a full�service, Black-owned general interest bookstore and a great supporter of DC BtP. We need new condition books more Independent Bookstore Week keeps going! BOL Co-op, at 716 Monroe St NE Studio #11, Washington, DC (Brookland), is a worker-owned community bookstore and café rooted in global racial justice. You can support BOL Co-op and DC BtP through May 2 b People’s Book, at 7014 Westmoreland Ave Suite A, Takoma Park MD, is a mom-and-pop bookstore and a very appreciated supporter of DC BtP. Restrictions on what books we can send in are getting stricter by the month, and new books are needed more t For us, Independent Bookstore Day lasts the whole week! Lost City Books, at 2467 18th Street NW Washington, DC (Adams-Morgan) "is the place for explorers, for deep divers, who want the books they find to take them to a new horizon.” Throug Keep Indie Bookstore Day going! Through May 2 all books bought for us from these indie bookstores will be matched with a cash donation, and today 4/26 all shipping is free! Check out our wish lists at linktr.ee/dcbtp (link in bio) or stop by the stor