Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)

A black and white flyer with a green and red holly branch in the corner. The text reads: “APBP Holiday Wrapping Party. Saturday, December 13. First Presbyterian Church, 456 Spruce St., 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Help us wrap books and write holiday messages to incarcerated readers. Snacks and holiday cheer provided! Questions? Contact @AppalachianPBP.”

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Mark your calendars for our holiday wrapping party! ✉️📚📦

Join us at First Presbyterian Church of Morgantown on Saturday, December 13. Stop by anytime between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm EST.

Snacks and holiday cheer provided. Bring your friends!

Sponsor an Incarcerated Reader Help us send books to people in prison.

It’s the last day to support our Sponsor an Incarcerated Reader fundraiser! 📖

With each $10 donation, you can send a book and note of holiday cheer to someone imprisoned in Appalachia.

Get the details:

Sponsor an Incarcerated Reader Help us send books to people in prison.

If you’re looking for an affordable and impactful (and easy!) gift for your friends, family members, coworkers, or acquaintances this holiday season, look no further. We’ve got you covered. 🎁

For $10, you can donate a book to an incarcerated reader in their name.

Sounds like a great gift to us. 🙌

"The Braille program is difficult to get into. It only has 19 available positions, with four of those reserved for new trainees. The other 15 are given to people who have received their Braille certification from the Library of Congress."

The Prison Spectacle - Vidal Guzman - Inquest How reality TV turns incarceration into entertainment—and helps strengthen the very systems of violence it claims to expose.

"Our lives are not entertainment." Formerly incarcerated NYC organizer Vidal Guzman on how carceral reality TV steals vulnerable people's stories

We've received lots of messages to send to people in prison, from a warm “Sending you strength, light, and moments of calm” to a cheerful “Hope this book creates a bright spot in your day!”

From now until Dec. 6, you can donate $10 to send a book and a note to someone behind bars, too. 👇

Sponsor an Incarcerated Reader Help us send books to people in prison.

When our volunteers mail a book to someone in prison, we encourage them to write a note to send along with the package. Now, it’s your turn to send a holiday message to people on the inside!

With a $10 donation, you can send an encouraging note (along with a book!) to a reader behind bars. 📖

Just a $10 donation makes a tangible difference in the life of an incarcerated reader.

It’s tough out there. We all need to spread a little joy. I hope you’ll consider donating. ❤️

Sponsor an Incarcerated Reader Help us send books to people in prison.

It’s #GivingTuesday! From now until December 6, take part in our Sponsor an Incarcerated Reader fundraiser. With every $10 donation, we'll send a book to someone imprisoned in Appalachia and include a note of your choice.

Learn more: appalachianprisonbookproject.org/sponsor-an-i...

Screenshot of Pres. Trump pardoning a turkey in 2025

Let's talk turkey: After months of targeting incarcerated people who received commutations from Biden, Pres. Trump pardoned 2 turkeys today.

Sparing a turkey while supporting the death penalty and punishing people for no longer being on death row is no act of festive goodwill.

When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in 15 Years I had not touched a cat in 15 years when an orange kitten wandered over to sit with me in the grass.

"I had not touched a cat in 15 years when an orange kitten wandered over to sit with me in the grass one day. I was left without adequate words to describe that experience. It reminded me that I am alive."

“Over the years, you guys have given me math, physics, and also school books to help with my GED. I also want you to know that because of all of your help, I was able to keep a 28-year-old promise to my dad.”

Read the rest of the letter below. 👇

Flow chart showing that mass incarceration costs $182 billion each year

While U.S. families struggle through an affordability crisis, mass incarceration still costs taxpayers $182 billion a year.

That's a lot of money that could be spent on communities instead of cages.

Books change lives. ❤️

A photo of a GED certificate.

A photo of a handwritten letter. The text reads: “Dear Appalachian Prison Book Project, I am so very proud today to give you wonderful people a copy of my diploma. And why am I giving all you guys at APBP this copy? It’s because without you and all of your donations, I wouldn’t have been able to pass! Please don’t laugh guys, this is very serious to me. Over the years, you guys have given me math, physics, and also school books to help with my GED. I also want you to know that because of all of your help, I was able to keep a 28-year-old promise to my dad. You see, my father dropped out of school in grade school. So he never learned to read or write. I made a promise to him when I dropped out to go back and get my diploma when things got better. Well, 28 years later and here we are. Also, my 15 year old has ADD, and my youngest has autism, and I have ADHD myself. Well, because of you wonderful people at APBP, with your help in helping me, now you’re helping my sons also. Now they wanna be just like daddy . . . I thank each and every one of you so, so much. God bless you all. And go home and tell your husband or wife, children or friends that you changed a life for the better. I pray you can help me on my next venture in life also. See the next page. Thank you so much guys. For me, but most of all for my sons.”

We received a stunning letter (with something special attached) this week from a man incarcerated in Virginia. We want to share it with you all.

Tldr: Books change lives. BOOKS CHANGE LIVES. And we couldn’t have helped this scholar without you. Thank you for your support.

We’re low on Wicca and 2026 world almanacs! Can you help by donating a paperback book? 🔮🌎

Mailing info:

Appalachian Prison Book Project
PO Box 601
Morgantown, WV 26507

All the books we receive are mailed for free to people behind bars. ✊

A green event flyer with photos of books and people around tables. The text reads: "APBP presents. . . Community Wrapping Party. Help us wrap books to send to incarcerated people in Appalachia. When? November 12, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Where? Ascend WV, 1279 University Avenue. Questions? Contact us at AppalachianPBP@gmail.com."

Join us TONIGHT for our November community wrapping party! 🎉 We'll be at Ascend WV from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Stop by anytime. New and experienced volunteers welcome. No training required.

See you there! ✉️📖📦

A pencil illustration of a truck with “APBP” on the side. The drawing is on the front of an envelope.

We get 100-200 letters a week from people behind bars. Sometimes, they include artwork—whether on paper or on the envelope itself!

Check out this fantastic illustration from an incarcerated artist in West Virginia. 🛻

a new favorite 🖤

A pencil illustration of a truck with “APBP” on the side. The drawing is on the front of an envelope.

We get 100-200 letters a week from people behind bars. Sometimes, they include artwork—whether on paper or on the envelope itself!

Check out this fantastic illustration from an incarcerated artist in West Virginia. 🛻

Attention Morgantown, WV folks:

The Aull Center will close at 4:00 pm today (Monday, November 10) and tomorrow (Tuesday, November 11).

We had a fabulous time wrapping books with the WVU Presidential Student Ambassadors. 📚

I’m in Prison. My Opera Was Performed at Carnegie Hall. - Joseph Wilson - Inquest Inside Sing Sing, I turned my twenty-five-year sentence into music fit for one of the world’s greatest stages.

"On June 9, 2023, an audience at Carnegie Hall witnessed an opera written by a person who had been convicted of murder, in collaboration with his fellow incarcerated artists. Over two years later, this fact is still striking to me."

Read this story in @inquest.bsky.social:

A green event flyer with photos of books and people around tables. The text reads: "APBP presents. . . Community Wrapping Party. Help us wrap books to send to incarcerated people in Appalachia. When? November 12, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Where? Ascend WV, 1279 University Avenue. Questions? Contact us at AppalachianPBP@gmail.com."

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Mark your calendars for our November wrapping party!

Join us at Ascend WV on Wed., Nov. 12 to help us send books to incarcerated people in Appalachia. Stop by anytime between 6-8 pm. New and experienced volunteers welcome.

See you there! ✉️📚📦

Thank you to everyone for your support and generosity. It’s what makes this work possible! We couldn’t do this without you. ❤️

For the curious, here are some stats from October 2025:

Total books logged: 368
Top state: Tennessee (118 books)
Top genre: Reference (76 books)
Book highlight: "Pastured Poultry Profits" by Joel F. Saltin, sent to Vincent in Virginia

Please don’t wear a “prisoner” or “inmate” costume this Halloween. It’s dehumanizing.

Stop Dressing as a “Prisoner” for Halloween Wearing a “prisoner” or “inmate” Halloween costume is dehumanizing, perpetuates racist stereotypes, and trivializes the real lived experiences of incarcerated people.

Happy Halloween! 🎃 Please think of incarcerated folks and their loved ones when putting on your costume tonight.

Blue graphic with white and yellow text: "Jails and prisons ban more books than all public schools and libraries combined. Incarceration shouldn't strip us of our right to read." Red and yellow tinted photos of a jail cell and a stack of books in the bottom right.

It's Prison Banned Books Week — a week dedicated to shining a light on the widespread denial of incarcerated people's freedom to read.

We all have a First Amendment right to read and receive information, in and out of prison. Censorship has no place in a democracy.

Volunteer | Appalachian Prison Book Project At APBP, we rely on the hard work of our volunteers. Visit this page to learn how you can start volunteering with APBP today.

If you’re new around here, join us for a volunteer training session to learn the ropes. We’re here most Saturday mornings teaching newbies.

Sign up on our website: appalachianprisonbookproject.org/get-involved...