The mission of the PLP is to provide reading material free of charge to inmates nationwide. The PLP also serves prison chaplains and librarians, drug/alcohol recovery groups, domestic abuse and HIV/AIDS support groups and others within the immediate community. Our goal is to address issues of literacy and promote personal responsibility, reflection and growth.
Our ongoing invitation is for inmates to embrace the PLP’s mission and foster a deep appreciation for the world of books, ideas, and education. We hope to help those who receive our materials to learn how to take charge of their lives in positive ways and to return to society with new awareness, abilities and the confidence to contribute to their families and communities in meaningful ways.
Why?
Rehabilitation was at one time a stated goal of the prison system. Today, funding for most educational and rehabilitation programs, including prison libraries, has been cut or completely eliminated. It is a distressing fact that today's U.S. prisons are increasingly about punishing people and warehousing human beings, not about, rehabilitation, or education.
This is where PLP steps in. We believe that everyone deserves access to literature and educational materials, including people trying to work towards social change, self-empowerment or rehabilitation within the incarceration system. The U.S. has less than 5 percent of the world’s population, but more than a quarter of the world’s prisoners. Nearly one percent of American adults are incarcerated, the highest rate in the world, but many prisoners have little access to books or educational material. They face substantial barriers and are cut off from family and friends on the outside. While some prisons have libraries, many do not. Of those that do, access and selection can be extremely limited. Usually, prisoners are not allowed to receive books from friends or family. Thus, programs like ours are one of the few options available to these individuals.
What We Do
The PLP receives nearly 300 letters a week from inmates. We mail over 30,000 books, magazines, and audio tapes each year to individuals and libraries in 600 prisons, jails and detention centers throughout the United States. Boxes of materials are also hand-delivered to local prisons and community organizations such as House of Ruth, Prototypes, and Crossroads. We also provide inmates and others with our Ways and Means Resource List – a compilation of over 200 different service and legal organizations that assist prisoners and those returning to society following incarceration.
How You Can Help
The PLP is a non-profit organization, staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is funded by donations and activities sponsored by the Claremont Forum. The books we provide are obtained through donations by publishers, bookstores and private individuals.
Our Book Wish List | We have many requests for these titles, please help!
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Our bookshop/community center hours of operation:
Tuesday: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 12:00 - 7:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 - 7:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 - 8:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 - 8:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 - 5:00 PM
Need a different time to help?
Our bookshop is open 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM Tuesday - Sunday, call ahead and let us know you will be coming by at (909) 626-3066.