[bctt tweet=”This list is an effort to help people make the most of their time in prison. You’d think something like it would be waiting for them on their bunks. The fact that it isn’t says a lot about what we expect from the time they’re serving.” username=”endeavorsinc”]

Most communities have a pretty comprehensive list of services to assist prisoners during the tricky transition home. Some make these lists available in the form of a reentry guide to help people figure out how to survive their first days of freedom. But if you start looking for a decent directory of services to help people while they’re locked up — good luck! There are a few. But none that we felt good about sharing here.  So we decided to make one of our own.

The following is a work in progress. When we have vetted more services, we’ll convert the list into a pdf document that can be downloaded, printed, and mailed to anyone in prison.  If you know of a service that you would like us to consider adding to this list, please send us an email at

Note: Some of the resources in this list may not be available to prisoners who are not serving time in Tennessee.  Some of the content in the resources are available by download only. State and federal prisoners from the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area may access this information through a Stephen’s Table Yellow Ribbon Committee. For more information contact Chattanooga Endeavors, PO Box 3351, Chattanooga, TN 37404.


Books (General)

Appalachian Prison Book Project
PO Box 601
Morgantown, WV 26507

Prison Library Project​
915-C W. Foothill Blvd, PMB 128
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 626-3066

Women’s Prison Book Project
c/o Boneshaker Books
2002 23rd Ave S
Minneapolis MN  55404

The Prisoners Literature Project
c/o Bound Together Books
1369 Haight St
San Francisco CA 9411

Prisoner Express
127 Anabel Taylor Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853


Books (Specialty)

We’re All Doing Time (Interfaith)
Free to prisoners upon request
Human Kindness Foundation
PO Box 61619
Durham, NC 27715
(919) 383-5160

Houses of Healing (Self-Help)
Free to prison libraries, staff, and volunteers
The Lionheart Foundation
P.O. Box 170115
Boston, MA 02117

(781) 444-6667

Various Titles (Self-Help)
Request a list of titles and rates
Prison Legal News
P.O. Box 1151
Lake Worth, FL 33460
(561) 360-2523


Correspondence Classes (Tuition)

Adams State University
Correspondence Education Program
208 Edgemont Blvd., Suite 3000
Alamosa, CO 81101

(719) 587-7671

Upper Iowa University
Self-Paced Degree Program
605 Washington Street
P.O. Box 1857
Fayette, Iowa 52142
(800) 553-4150

Colorado State University
Distance Education Program
2200 Bonforte Blvd
Pueblo, CO 81001-4901

(800) 388-6154

Ohio University
Correctional Education Program
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740) 593-1000

California Coast University
925 N. Spurgeon Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701

(714) 547-9625


Education

College for Convicts Book
Prison Education News
Christopher Zoukis
Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg
P.O. Box 1000, #22132-058
Petersburg, VA 23804

Back to School: A Guide to Continuing Your Education after Prison
John Jay College
524 W 59th St, Rm 609B
New York, NY 10019
(212) 621-3792


Family

Anglel Tree (Christmas presents)
Ask your chaplain for an application or have him or her contact
Prison Fellowship
44180 Riverside Parkway, Lansdowne, VA 20176
(800) 552-6435
.

Incarcerated Parents Manual PDF
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
1540 Market St., Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 255-7036


Guides (Religious)

Bible Correspondence Courses
American Bible Academy
PO Box 1490
Joplin, MO 64802-1490
(417) 781-9100

Bible Study
Sign up form is online or contact
Crossroads Prison Ministry
PO Box 900
Grand Rapids, MI 49509-0900
(800) 668-2450

Catholic Study Courses PDF
Dismas Ministry
PO Box 070363
Milwaukee, WI 53207

Meditation Kits PDF
Prison Mindfulness Institute
PO Box 206
South Deerfield, MA 01373


Guides (General)

Manual for Surviving Solitary Confinement PDF
American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 241-7000

Houses of Healing (Self-Help)
The Lionheart Foundation
P.O. Box 170115
Boston, MA 02117

(781) 444-6667

Tennessee Driver License Manual
Download the manual or request at
Tennessee Department of Safety
1150 Foster Ave
Nashville, TN 37243
(615) 251-5300


Health

Prisoner Diabetes Handbook PDF
Free to prisoners upon request
Prison Legal News
P.O. Box 1151
Lake Worth, FL 33460
(561) 360-2523

ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project
“Know Your Rights” for pregnant women in prison
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad St, 18th Fl
New York, NY 10004-2400
(212) 549-2633


Legal

Prison Legal News
Monthly subscription for prisoners is $30 per year
Prison Legal News
P.O. Box 1151
Lake Worth, FL 33460
(561) 360-2523

Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual PDF
Columbia University School of Law
435 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027
(212) 854-1601

My Little Red Rules Book
Federal trial quick reference
Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho
10 North Post Street
Suite 700
Spokane, WA 99201

ACLU National Prison Project 
Prisoner’s rights

American Civil Liberties Union
915 15th Street NW, 7th Floor
(202) 393-4930


Newsletters

Catholic Worker
36 East First Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-9617

Coalition For Prisoners’ Rights
Download or send a stamped self-addressed envelope to
Coalition for Prisoners’ Rights
PO Box 1911
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1911

Dharma Friends Newsletter
PO Box 7708
Little Rock, AR 72217|
(501) 508-4334

Human Kindness Foundation (Interfaith)
Free to prisoners upon request
PO Box 61619
Durham, NC 27715
(919) 383-5160

Insight Meditation Society (Vipassana Meditation)
1230 Pleasant St
Barre MA 01005
(978) 355-4378

Inside Journal (Christian)
Available by download only
Prison Fellowship
44180 Riverside Parkway
Lansdowne, VA 20176
(800) 206-9764

Prisoner Express (Prisoner art and writing)
Free to prisoners upon request
130 Anabel Taylor Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-6486

Yard Out (Christian)
Free to prisoners upon request
c/o Prisoners for Christ
P.O. Box 1530
Woodinville, WA 98072


Religious Material

Aleph Institute (Jewish)
9540 Collins Ave
Surfside, FL 33154-7127
(305) 864-5553

Alavi Foundation (Muslim)
650 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2406
New York, New York 10019
(212) 944-8333

Buddhist Association of the United States (Various Traditions)
2020, Route 301
Carmel, NY 10512
(845) 225-1819

Dismas Ministries (Catholic)
PO Box 070363
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 486-2383

International Bible Society (Protestant)
1820 Jet Stream Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
(719) 488-9200

John Anderson Memorial Potlatch (Native American)
Free Resources for Native American Prisoners from Hamilton County, TN
c/o Chattanooga Endeavors
PO Box 3351
Chattanooga, TN 37404
(423) 266-1888

Reentry

Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (Click for State contact)
To transfer parole or probation supervision to another state
836 Euclid Avenue, Suite 322
Lexington, KY 40502
(859) 721-1050


Writing

Journal of Prisoners on Prisons
Prisoners and former prisoners may submit papers, collaborative essays, interviews, book reviews, and photo or graphic essays. No fiction or poetry.
Justin Piché, PhD
University of Ottawa
120 University, Room 13049
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1N 6N5
www.jpp.org

Pen American Center for Prison Writing Program
Free Handbook for Writers in Prison, mentoring program, and annual Prison Writing Contest.
588 Broadway, Suite 303
New York NY 10012
www.pen.org/prison-writing

Prisons Foundation
Free help for prisoners to publish their books on Amazon.com
2512 Virginia Ave. NW, #58043
Washington DC 20037
www.prisonsfoundation.org