Support Books for Prisoners

Support Changes that Increase Prisoners' Access to Books.

Dear ***Name Omitted****,

The Oregon Department of Corrections is proposing an amendment to its Incoming Mail rules that will permit incarcerated people to receive used books. This is a very positive change that will benefit prisoners and the larger community. We need to send comments supporting the amendment of these rules to the Rules Office of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Background:

Oregon has been one of the few states in the nation that did not allow people in prison to receive used books. This made prisoners’ access to books more difficult because they or their families were forced to buy expensive new books or no books at all. Also, programs around the country that send free copies of used books to people in prison could not send books to incarcerated people in Oregon. One of these programs, Books to Oregon Prisoners, spent many years advocating for these changes to Oregon’s rules.

Access to Used Books Benefits Incarcerated People and the Community:

By permitting used books, more people in prison will have access to reading materials. The change will also enable prisoners enrolled in college classes to purchase used books and decrease their overall education costs.

Increasing access to education in prison benefits everyone. Participation in prison-based education programs has been shown to decrease recidivism, and making making educational materials more available and affordable is a step in the right direction to expanding access to educational programs.

Action Needed:

Click the "act now" button below to send an email message to Ms. Birdie Worley in the Rules Office of the Oregon Department of Corrections supporting these changes to the Incoming Mail rules. You can read proposed changes to the Incoming Mail rules here.

Deadline for responding: The deadline for comments is May 26th.