Chicago Books to Women in Prison

For half the year, from mid-March to mid-September, we had to close due to COVID-19. After reopening, we had to cut the number of hours per week and the number of volunteers per shift. With lockdowns prevalent in prisons across the country, books are both harder to come by for those inside and needed more than ever.

This year, we mailed 1,964 orders of books and composition books to women and trans people in prisons across the country. In addition, in the spring we provided 1,600 sets of composition books, crayon packs, and folders to the women at Logan Correctional Center in Illinois. And in August, October, and December, we made three large bulk deliveries to the women’s division of Cook County Jail in Chicago—approximately 600 books and 700 composition books in all.

One bright spot amid the challenges has been adapting our processes in creative ways to help us do more within our current restraints. And watch for more news about how we plan to do more in providing mutual aid to people in prison in 2021 and beyond.

Thank you to everyone who’s been with us in one way or the other in this difficult year—volunteering, donating money or books, amplifying us on social media, and more. The challenges and uncertainties remain, of course, and we hope you’ll continue your support.