Cherish Burtson remembers when books were her only escape. She was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, Calif.
"And I went through so many books; I think that's the only thing that allowed me to actually get through it," Burtson said.
Now, Burtson volunteers with Books Through Bars San Diego, a mutual aid collective that sends books to prisons. The group holds regular packing events at Groundwork Books at UC San Diego. Volunteers open letters from incarcerated people, select books and write letters back.
This year, the group received about 150 letters per month. They shipped 1,200 books to incarcerated people in 200 facilities across 40 states.
"When you're in there, you're just at a complete standstill and you really feel like the outside world forgets about you. And it's those little things — letters and books — that make you feel like you actually still are a part of the world," Burtson said.
Books Through Bars operates with minimal overhead. It is volunteer-run and relies on word-of-mouth and prison resource lists to spread the word. Groundwork Books donates storage and event space for packing events. Books are donated by the community and bookstores, with donations sites scattered throughout the region.
Another volunteer with Books Through Bars, Terry Vargas, said the busiest book donation sites include Libélula Books, the Friends of Serra Mesa Library and Groundwork Books.
The group’s primary expense is shipping. It costs roughly $5 to send each package of books, which added up to $6,295 in shipping costs in 2024. To raise money, the group recently published and sold zines of art sent by incarcerated people along with their book requests.
Organizers say about 70% of their packages make it through security.
Prisons routinely censor books. According to a 2023 study by PEN America, correctional facilities in all 50 states contribute to the nation's largest book ban. Many states, including California, keep a centralized banned book list. In other states, the list is vague and less predictable. Books containing sexuality, nudity, violence or content that may be a "threat to security," certain DIY instructions, or stories about life in prison are often censored, according to PEN America research.
Researchers found that, in addition to banned book lists and categories, censorship also exists from on-the-spot judgment from facility mailrooms, and "content-neutral" censorship — a catch-all for other reasons an incarcerated person may not be allowed to receive a book.
This may include used books, hardcovers, improper mailing practices or failure to comply with facility mailroom procedures.
The rules for book shipments vary widely and are hard to track.
"Facilities are becoming stricter and stricter with the requirements — some facilities have adopted requirements where they only accept white envelopes — and these are just like arbitrary rules, just add barriers for us to be able to send these packages," vargas said.
But for Books Through Bars, it's worth the effort.
The packing events are powerful for the volunteers, too.
"I think that impact goes two ways," Burston said.
"Just being able to actually read people's words and know that we are making some kind of difference, no matter how small," she said. "So actually showing up for people who are incarcerated and building that connection with them — which reading their actual words forces you to do — that was really powerful for me."
Letters from incarcerated people often express gratitude, Vargas said. At a recent packing event, she opened a letter from Zachary in Indiana, written on a torn half-sheet of binder paper.
"He says, 'I'm writing to request books. I really appreciate the work your organization is doing for prisoners. It really helps me not lose my cool. It saves my life, really," vargas read.
Books Through Bars’ next packing event is scheduled for January. Volunteers and donations are always welcome.
