Chicago Books to Women in Prison » Uncategorized

We’re Moving!

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:21:25 +0000

Big news for CBWP: Unfortunately, after years of dedicated and inspiring work, Beyondmedia Education is closing its doors due to a lack of funding. CBWP is hunting for a new fiscal sponsor, and we’ve found a new home– we’re just sorting out the details.

We are going to be in the space on Sunday 1/8 and Sunday 1/15, but we’re not answering letters- we’re packing up our inventory and disassembling our shelves.

If you are able to help, we need small and medium sturdy cardboard boxes, plastic bins (with or without lids), and people who are handy with powerdrills.

We need to be out of 4001 N Ravenswood by the end of January.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, we’ll also need people with cars and/or driving ability to help us move the project to its new home.

We are thrilled to let you know that the Chicago Women’s Health Center is going to rent us space! We’ll be located at 3435 N Sheffield (Sheffield and Clark and Newport), just between the Belmont and Addison El stops. We are very excited to be building a partnership with this awesome organization, and it sounds . If you’re not familiar with their work, you can check them out here: http://www.chicagowomenshealthcenter.org/

December 4th: A Dialogue with Candidate Patricia Van Pelt Watkins

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:44:24 +0000

The Illinois Criminal Justice System: What Are We Doing Wrong, and How Do We Stop?

Join us for a dialogue with Patricia Van Pelt Watkins about the Illinois Criminal Justice System.

Sunday, December 4th, 1:30-3:00
Chicago Books to Women in Prison
4001 N Ravenswood Ave #204b

Those of us who insist on a rational and compassionate approach to policing, criminal justice and incarceration will discuss practical solutions with community leader and Fifth District Senate candidate Patricia Van Pelt Watkins.

Members of community organizations will ask her tough questions and we expect to get some tough answers!

Watkins is one of the few candidates who is willing to foreground issues of violence reduction and criminal justice in Chicago. Come with questions about her work with Safe City initiative, CeaseFire, prisoner reentry, sentencing policy, restorative justice, and anything else!

Dr. Patricia Van Pelt Watkins is:
▪ Founding Director of Target Area Development Corporation, which developed a model that improves public safety in communities through programs that reduce recidivism and change conditions that can lead to violence and crime.
▪ Founder of the Developing Justice Coalition, which spearheaded passage of legislation that improved fairness in the criminal justice system and removed barriers to employment.
▪ Founder of the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations, which created a report card that evaluated the voting records of state legislators on issues of human rights and racial equity.

Co-sponsored by:
Chicago Books to Women in Prison
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Transformative Justice Law Project
Tamms Year Ten
Bill Ryan
Ted Pearson

Chicago Books to Women in Prison in the Welles Park Bulldog News

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:57:39 +0000

As the Ravenswood corridor continues to garner attention for its industrial warehouses converted into lofts for booming technology start-ups, one office in a renovated building is home to a collective dedicated to helping people whose futures are bleak, regardless of any potential upturn in the economy.

Every Sunday afternoon, the volunteers of Chicago Books to Women in Prison meet at 4001 North Ravenswood, just north of Irving Park Road. They open letters from female prisoners across the country, look for three used paperback books that match each request, and package them for shipping to women in desperate need of something with which to bide their time.

Read the full article

Arline Welty, Co-Founder of CWBP, Honored in Windy City Times 30 Under 30

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:51:46 +0000

For the twelfth year running, Windy City Times celebrates Pride by bestowing honors upon 30 individuals under the age of 30 who have, in their young lives, already made significant contributions to Chicago’s LGBT community and beyond. This year, we actually increased the number of honorees to 33.

Here’s what they have to say about Arline:

Arline, 29, co-founded Chicago Books to Women in Prison 10 years ago while thinking about race and politics at the University of Chicago. Today, the bookish queers and prison abolitionists of Books to Women in Prison have sent more than 100,000 paperback books through bars. Arline enjoys literary criticism, Bitch magazine and presidential biographies. She is the communications manager at PortionPac, a local manufacturer of sustainable cleaning concentrates.

Did you know? When she’s not reading and writing, Arline is totally monogamous with her Wustof Grand Prix chef’s knife.

Read the full article

Lesbian Leadership Council Grants $2,000 to Chicago Books to Women in Prison

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:18:36 +0000

The Lesbian Leadership Council at the Chicago Foundation for Women has just made an unsolicited, $2,000 grant to support the costs of postage, books, and operating expenses at Chicago Books to Women in Prison. Thank you, Lesbian Leadership Council!

Chicago BWP Featured on ABC News

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:13:41 +0000

ABC Chicago:

Books are a hot commodity for incarcerated women, so a group of volunteers is doing its part to make sure they have something to read.

Watch: ABC Video about Chicago Books to Women in Prison

or Read the Story

Fundraising Party 4/15 at Las Manos Gallery: Welcome to “The Future”

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:00:51 +0000

The future is NOW! Join Beyondmedia Education and Chicago Books to Women in Prison for a futuristic fundraiser at Las Manos Gallery on April 15, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. Enjoy the future with karaoke and dancing to tunes selected by The People’s DJ. Taste the future with food and drinks. Predict the future with fortune-tellers and horoscopes. Influence the future by supporting media activism and outreach to incarcerated women.

Beyondmedia’s mission is to collaborate with under-served and under-represented women, youth and communities to tell their stories, connect their stories to the world around us, and organize for social justice through the creation and distribution of media arts.

Chicago Books to Women in Prison is an all-volunteer collective that mails paperback books to people who are incarcerated in women’s prisons in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri. CBWP is dedicated to offering women behind bars the opportunity for self-empowerment, education, and entertainment that reading provides. Incarcerated women send their requests for books directly to CBWP, which then gathers on Sunday afternoons to fill the requests.

Las Manos Gallery represents emerging and established fine artists. The current exhibit, ‘Variations: A Photography Exhibition’, features the work of Sarah Midkiff.

When: April 15th, 7:00 – 11:00pm
Where: Las Manos Gallery – 5220 N. Clark Street. Take the Red Line to Berwyn, or take the 92, 22, or 36 buses.
Contact: Katie Wadell / octobear (at) yahoo.com

Chicago Books to Women in Prison: An Organization Video

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:24:17 +0000

Watch the documentary by Chicago-based filmmaker and musician Madsen Minax. “Chicago Books to Women in Prison: An Organization Video” shows how bibliophiles, more commonly known as “bookworms,” can combine their love of books with a radical opposition to prison system.

Hot off the Press: Books’ Video Release Party October 8

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:17:24 +0000

Who: Chicago Books to Women in Prison

What: Release part for a new documentary produced by award winning filmmaker Madsen Minax. Free. Refreshments provided.

When: October 8, 2010 6:30-9:30pm

Where: Mess Hall, an experimental cultural center in the heart of Rogers Park (6932 N Glenwood Avenue)

After nearly ten years in action, Chicago Books to Women in Prison (CBWP) is putting itself on film. Join CBWP for the release party of a new documentary by Chicago-based filmmaker and musician Madsen Minax. “Chicago Books to Women in Prison: An Organization Video” shows how bibliophiles, more commonly known as “bookworms,” can combine their love of books with a radical opposition to prison system.

Designed to inspire viewers to learn more about issues of prisons and literacy, “Chicago Books to Women in Prison: An Organization Video” documents the history and importance of the CBWP project, and offers personal stories about reading and learning in prison.

Madsen Minax is the award-winning director and producer of the rock documentary “Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance.” He has a BFA in film and sound from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Lesbian Leadership Council approves $2,500 grant!

Chicago Books to Women in Prison — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:43:07 +0000

We want to thank the Chicago Foundation for Women’s Lesbian Leadership Council for recommending a $2,500 grant to Chicago Books to Women in Prison! We will receive the grant in June. Thank you so much! We are especially touched because this grant was unsolicited. Thank you Lesbian Leadership Council!