Prison Book Program

Did you know that the Prison Book Program publishes a booklet called the National Prisoner Resource List? Commonly known as the NPRL, this list is a helpful resource for people in prison. It gives them information about places where they (and their families) can find support, advocacy, health care information as well as lifelines to the outside community. The NPRL, upon request, is sent to people in prisons and jails free of charge. It is also available for families and friends to print and mail to their loved ones.

The NPRL also contains a few puzzles and coloring sketches, giving incarcerated people outlets for their creativity. We often receive letters from people in jail narrating that a resource shared in the NPRL helped them get the services they needed or simply made them feel less hopeless because they found a place to turn to for support.

Boston native Jesse Berman first learnt about the Prison Book Program a couple of years ago and has since spent his time volunteering with us. Jesse's favorite job at PBP is verifying, which involves validating our readers' latest address. "I feel a sense of connection to each person when I am able to locate them, especially when they have been transferred around to various facilities and would otherwise be lost in the system," he says. "Many of the letter writers describe having no one on the outside, but because of the work we do, I take some comfort in knowing that they are not forgotten."

For his consistent volunteering efforts, Jesse is our Volunteer of the Month! Thank you, Jesse, for choosing to spend your time with us.