Jessica’s Donation Project

Why Books for Incarcerated Youth?

Personally, I’ve always been impacted by books over the years, and I know how they can change your life. As I got older, I learned how many children are incarcerated for things they can’t control. With the year 2020, we all faced massive struggles with the coronavirus, and the world saw that jails and prisons faced massive challenges. So much of the jail environment is asked around the massive community or social areas. Due to lockdowns, people are forced to remain in cells, so books are now the only fun and Enticing element they have access to.

My goal for this project was to help children who are incarcerated during this global pandemic. I also want to let them know that people out there care for them, and they can get through this challenging time in their lives as the pandemic and just living while being incarcerated can be quite a mountain to overcome.

How can we reach them?

Normally there are many ways to donate and reach out. Though due to the pandemic, I noticed many options had closed their direct donations. After looking around, I found the Liberation Libary program to donate physical books or digital options, like funding their partners or them directly.

Why Liberation Libary?

After researching the non-profit, I found out they are entirely volunteer-run. Also, they specialize in donations to incarcerated youth in Illinois and work to help abolish prisons.

“Liberation Library is a volunteer-run, prison abolitionist group that sends books to incarcerated young people in Illinois. We do not think we should exist, because we do not believe prisons should exist, but as long as they do, we will continue sending books to young people inside.” – Melanie Wagner (founder)

My Donation and Why

Personally, I chose to donate a digital payment of $100 to the program, as they have stated they have a wishlist from their members. This way they know what to buy for each and every one of them.

If I could give any advice to someone wishing to donate, I would recommend going with a non-profit you trust as it’s so hard to donate individually to prison systems. While we are in a pandemic, I also would say respect the organization’s boundaries and donate digital if that’s all they have access to right now.

Donation Link!

Book Recommendations

as I did my donations through Liberation Library, I decided to go through their catalog to make this top recommended list. I made my choices based on books that are popular among young adults now and even someones I knew was popular with younger crowds. I also chose a lot of biographies as this can give the reader someone to connect to look up to. Next, I went through and books with nice reviews from previous readers were added to my list. I did try to avoid books based on the prison system as a way to help the kids have a break.

the order has no effect on the ranking of importance.

Liberation Library Catalog

ASSATA: An Autobiography
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (or any book from series)
Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The Hunger Games (or any book from series)
I Am Alfonso Jones
The White Lines (or any book from series)
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
Divergent (or any book from series)
City of One: Young Writers Speak to the World
Once a King, Always a King
My Bloody Life
Native Son
Holes
The Giver
Before I Fall
Paper Towns
The Fault in Our Stars
Angel City: Town Without Pity
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or any book from series)
Brown Girl Dreaming
Yummy: The Last Days Of A Southside Shorty
Straight Outta East Oakland
The Hate U Give

Books for Incarcerated Youth In Georgia