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Prose & Cons: Ashland Peace House program provides free books to prisoners By Jim Flint Updated: Nov 23, 2022 09:02 AM A A Peace House volunteers pack books to ship to prisoners as part of a program that serves inmates of state prisons in the western half of the U.S. and federal prisons nationwide. From left are Amy Kinard, a retired reference librarian; Cooper Dean, a retired public librarian; Toni Richmond, a practicing therapist; and Ann Magill, a retired high school librarian. [Photo by Jim Flint] Cooper Dean, right, reads a letter of appreciation from a prisoner as Ann Magill listens. Both volunteer their time for Rogue Liberation Library, an Ashland Peace House program. [Photo by Jim Flint] Rogue Liberation Library, founded in 2018 to provide free books to prisoners primarily in California and Texas, today has expanded its reach to state prisons in the western half of the United States and federal prisons across the country. RLL, which became an Ashland Peace House program in 2019, now sends out about 300 packages of books each month, each typically containing three books, for an average of 10,900 books per year. Peace House Executive Director Elizabeth Hallett says the program is a way to reach out to prisoners who want to educate themselves or find ways to see the world through the windows that writers and books provide. “I believe that by receiving those books, they feel less dehumanized and more inspired, despite their incarceration,” she said. “If we can feed their minds and spirits with new patterns of thinking and inner development, we provide comfort and inspiration they can use to come to terms with life.” Kai Safran started the program, working with three other volunteers: Rose Goodwin, Mary Ann Jones and Cooper Dean. “Bringing the program to the Peace House brought administrative support, a more reliable source of funding and the benefits of nonprofit status,” said Dean, a retired public librarian who still volunteers at RLL. “It was a win-win transition.” Since the transition, there has been significant turnover in volunteers. Currently, the core group consists of six volunteers. Peace House viewed the work as a humanitarian project and as a way to help others connect at a difficult time in their lives. During COVID, when prisoners often were locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day, the books provided relief and respite. “Many prisons do not have libraries — or have libraries with limited hours of access and few books to choose from,” Dean said. In addition, many prisoners lack money to buy books and are restricted from accessing internet resources. Some prisons allow only new books, shipped directly from publishers or approved vendors. RLL works with prisoners, not with prisons. When it gets requests from prisoners, it sends books directly to the inmates, free of charge. “However,” Dean said, “since prisons control the flow of books across their doorsteps and set requirements for acceptable content, we sometimes need to work with prisons to resolve delivery problems.” Most prisons do not allow books with sexual or violent content. Other topics might also be prohibited. Prisons often restrict the condition of books, including not allowing hardbacks and not allowing books with notes or highlighting. “Obtaining books with the requested content is one challenge,” Dean said, “but another is getting them through prisons’ restrictions.” For example, if a prisoner requests a book on famous art and it contains some nudity, the book may be rejected. Peace House relies heavily on donations of books and money for the program. “A few of our volunteers spend hours each week searching used bookstores, thrift stores and estate sales to pick up as many books as they can afford,” Dean said. Sometimes RLL receives high-quality books that can’t be used for one reason or another. Sometimes they can be traded at used bookstores for books the program needs. RLL raises money through Peace House contacts and through its website. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to undertake more extensive fundraising or explore grant opportunities,” Dean said. “We would love to find some volunteers with an interest in those areas, as well as in outreach and in obtaining books.” Volunteers meet at Peace House once a week on Wednesdays to read requests from prisoners, match them with books and get them out the door. “That’s the fun part,” she said. The kinds of books prisoners request range from crafts, health and fitness, genre fiction and language study to adult coloring books, meditation and spirituality, business and games and puzzles. A list of sought-after topics can be found on the RLL website. “Topics that are in high demand include how to start a small business, living off the grid and parapsychology,” Dean said. Requests don’t always align with books on hand, which is one of RLL’s biggest challenges. “We try as best we can to send books that are as close as possible to the requests,” she said. “Sometimes we slip in something we think the prisoner might like.” Although RLL is not a pen-pal program, prisoners often share their personal stories, artwork, poetry and gratitude in conjunction with their requests. (See sidebar.) Ann Magill, a retired high school librarian and RLL volunteer, says volunteers feel the impact of handwritten letters from prisoners. “It is more powerful than a quote,” Magill said, “because it is a reminder that there is a real person behind that pen or pencil, a person locked in a cell who wants to be heard and acknowledged.” Dean believes in the power of books to foster learning and personal growth. “I feel that prisoners are a neglected part of our society,” she said, “and helping them through RLL is the least we can do. I feel good about spending my time to make it happen.” Peace House reaches out to prisoners through a publication updated annually and widely distributed to inmates. The PARC National Resource Directory is published by Prison Activist Resource Center, a prison abolitionist group in Oakland. “Word of mouth from one prisoner to another is also a common way interest is generated in our free book program,” Dean said. RLL recently extended its outreach. Susannah Tyrrell, one of the volunteers, spoke to the owner of Bloomsbury Books about placing a flyer in the store’s window to generate donations from book lovers. Flyers also will be posted on bulletin boards around town. “Bloomsbury is also open to posting a book wish list at the front desk, in January after the Christmas rush, to encourage customers to buy a book for an inmate while they are shopping at the store,” Dean said. RLL recently received a large donation from Mountain Meadows, Rogue Valley bookstores continue to donate advance readers’ copies of new books, and an East Coast distributor offered remainders and overstock titles at significantly reduced prices. “I bought 10 to 20 copies of things we need that are rarely donated,” Dean said, “such as coloring and puzzle books and books on homesteading and self-help.” For information about how to donate books or money to RLL, or to volunteer, go to peacehouse.net/RLL/ . ‘Do you have any books on taking care of lizards?’ Ashland Peace House receives many letters from prisoners expressing thanks and gratitude for books received from its Rogue Liberation Library program. Following is a letter from Carl, sent from a Texas prison Oct. 28: “Books are a huge deal and blessing to us, as our prison library is closed more often than open. It’s been open only once in the last six weeks. Now they say it’s closed until further notice due to inventory and staff shortage. “Your books are especially needed here, as this is not a regular prison. It is a prison hospital, and a lot of guys like me have a hard time moving around. I am dying slowly from terminal cancer. “Any books you send I will share with others, so they will be read and reread over and over again until they fall apart. Currently there are only 16 books on our wing. We just had our yearly cell search, and the captain in charge threw away our books, calling them a fire hazard. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that done in my 19 years in prison. “Anyway, thank you so much for your kindness. It helps to know someone cares. Very sincerely, Carl.” Here are a few additional excerpts from other letters: “I would like to ask if you have any books on how to take care of lizards? I have one, and I learned how to take care of it by trial and error. I have had my girl two years and six months. My boy died after two years and two months. I also like to read horrors, thrillers and fantasies.” — Espiridion, Huntsville, Texas “If possible, would you please send me a self-help book on rejection and for anxiety?” — James, San Luis Obispo, California “I have been incarcerated for the past 25 years, and I will be going to parole board in August. I was told the board does not believe you have been rehabilitated if you ain’t reading. I have a reading disability. So my goal is to read as much as I can. I want inspirational books, leadership books, to be a better person.” — Jose, Imperial, California “I’m looking for positive things to do with the time I have to serve. Reading is constructive and good exercise for my brain, much better than vegetating in front of the TV hour after hour.” — Richard, Corcoran, California “You sent me a book called ‘Inside Iran,’ a book on Celtic history and an issue of Foreign Affairs magazine. They were very informative and thought-provoking and continually reminded me that there is a whole world out there, outside of this prison. It’s awe-inspiring. Thank you.” — Ricardo, Abilene, Texas You can reach Ashland writer Jim Flint at [email protected].