The Prison Book Project Connects Students, Incarcerated Individuals, Professors and Librarians
The San Diego State University Prison Book Project is a collaboration between the University Library and the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. Through this project, we match donated books with requests from incarcerated individuals and make a distinctive library contribution to SDSU's broader commitment to promoting education for incarcerated individuals as well as those who were formerly incarcerated. Last year, 190 books were sent to incarcerated individuals. This year is off to a good start with 98 books sent out at a recent Prison Book Project Book Send-Off.
When asked why they established the program at SDSU, Social Sciences and Data Librarian Rayyon Robinson shared, “As a librarian, I believe we have a responsibility to protect and increase access to information for all people, and this includes people who are incarcerated. Carceral systems represent the largest book ban in the country, with the flow and creation of information being controlled and surveilled. I hope that readers can meet both their leisure and educational needs with the books we send them.”
Students and librarians work together to read book request letters, then select a book to send to the incarcerated person. Many of the students who participate in the project are from the Criminal Justice program, and this project often serves as an introduction for these students to individuals in prison.
Professor Tereza Trejbalová brought the students in her Corrections 330 class to the most recent send-off. She was excited about the opportunity for her students to become engaged with the community in a safe environment. She said, “This project humanizes the people inside in a way that doesn’t make the students feel vulnerable.” She continued, “Knowledge is limited in prison, and our knowledge of life in prison is also limited. This project addresses both of those facts, and everyone learns from it.”
Trejbolva’s students were excited as well. Fourth-year criminal justice student Cynthia Fonseca said, “This is a cool project. It gives us a chance to connect with an incarcerated person. It’s cool that they are interested in learning and growing despite their circumstances.”
Kelsy Huntington, also a fourth-year student, said, “I love to read, and I understand the power of reading. I’m amazed to see what people want to read. We have requests for science books, history, and advanced math. It is good to see that their passion to learn is still strong.”
The project relies on donated books. Robinson said, “We need great-condition paperback books with no markings or explicit references to violence/nudity on the cover in recent (last 10-15 years) popular fiction and nonfiction, dictionaries, almanacs, and craft/ how-to-books. Our top genre requests include mysteries, true crime, graphic novels, urban fantasy, manga, art, nature magazines, self-help, and legal.” Please contact Robinson to arrange a donation drop-off at the library.
Because the Prison Book Project has highlighted the challenges that incarcerated individuals face in their attempt to exercise their freedom to read, the University Library is continuing its promotion of Banned Books Week with a special program for Prison Banned Books Week (October 19 - 25). Please join the Prison Book Project on October 20th (4:00 - 6:00 pm) for a screening of the film “The Feminist on Cellblock Y” (2018) in the Leon Williams Room (LL430). The screening is free and open to the public.
