It's back-to-school season at BBB

Let's help change the narrative surrounding prison literacy

For many, it’s the time of year when summer ends and back-to-school season begins. At Books Beyond Bars, we’re spreading awareness on how academic preparation can impact the lives of those behind bars. Incarcerated folks working towards their educational goals often have unmet literacy needs and face barriers to access materials they need to study, perform, and succeed in their coursework. We aim to change that! 

Studies show that people in the U.S. prison system are disproportionately illiterate and have lower average literacy and numeracy scores. Studies show that those who further their education while incarcerated are more likely to experience a smoother reentry and gain steady employment when released. The inability to access study materials, therefore, perpetuates a challenging cycle for incarcerated individuals when they compete for a living wage and navigate the labor market upon reentry.  

Books Beyond Bars has received countless requests for exam prep books, practice manuals, language textbooks, and professional guidance. Legal dictionaries are also in high demand, since they help incarcerated individuals understand the legal system and equip them with knowledge they need to fight their cases. 

While we always strive to fulfill all book requests, these kinds of items regularly surpass Books Beyond Bars’ limited per-client budget. That is why we’re launching the BBB Academic Books wish list on Amazon. Through this wish list, we hope to be able to stock the shelves of our office library with commonly requested study materials so we can be equipped to help program participants prepare for their next step in life and pursue the education they deserve! You can access the academic books list here.

Are we missing anything on our BBB Academic Books wish list? Email us or comment below for any titles or genres of academic content that could benefit the literacy needs of the individuals we support!