The Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project is an all-volunteer effort that strives to encourage self-education among prisoners in the United States.
By providing free reading materials upon request, we hope to promote critical thinking behind bars. We develop relationships so people on the outside can better understand and combat the injustices faced by folks who are incarcerated. We are aware the prison industrial complex targets people of color, in poverty, and in the LGBTQ community.
The project exists to alleviate a lot of the pain caused by the criminal justice system, and to provide a direct opportunity for self-education and collective struggle. Additionally, we exist because prison libraries sometimes fail in this respect: they are understocked or are only able to be patronized during specific and limited hours. We exist because prisoners are not strangers: they are brothers sisters, friends, cousins, mothers, and children.
Volunteer!
If you’re interested in volunteering please attend a public session (just show up) or email us at mwpp [at] pagestoprisoners.org .
With some exceptions, MWPP regularly hosts the following public letter writing sessions:
- Monthly — Last Wednesday of the month from 7:30-10 PM at The Back Door in Bloomington, IN
- Bi-monthly — First Sunday every other month from 2:30-5:30 PM at the Louisville Tool Library in Louisville, KY
- Quarterly — Four times a year from 6-7:30 PM at the Carmel Clay Public Library in Carmel, IN
To get general updates about the project, specials event notices (ie: pack-a-thons and fundraisers), and call outs for materials, please follow our Instagram.
Donate!
You can also support us by donating materials, books, and/or money. We are always in need of packing materials and reusable manilla envelopes. Please contact us before donating books. Checks can be made out to “Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project” and sent to our address listed below. You can donate to our project online using PayPal by clicking on the button below.