This is an evolving list of organisations that work alongside prison libraries or who could provide helpful information and resources for you and your library users. It will continue to be updated and amended. If you are an individual or organisation collaborating with prison libraries and would like to be added to this list, please contact us to let us know.
On this page, you will find information about book distributors, reading, literacy and family reading initiatives, and arts and creative writing organisations. Click ‘learn more’ to visit their website directly and read more information about the services provided.
Book distribution
Bang up books
Bang Up Books distributes books to prisons across England and Wales. Learn more
Borderline books
Borderline Books collects surplus books from publishers and the public, redistributing them to prisons and other organisations supporting those in need. Learn more
Give a book
Give a Book partners with Prison Reading Groups (PRG) and supports initiatives like Family Days, helping incarcerated parents connect with their children through reading. Learn more
Haven distribution
Haven supplies educational books to people in prison and encourages leaving them in prison libraries for others to use, supporting education and literacy. Learn more
Reading, literacy and family reading
Children’s book project
The Children’s Book Project runs a Share a Story initiative in prisons to strengthen bonds between children and parents by giving parents carefully chosen new books to send home. Any prison in England or Wales can sign up and run the initiative via the family liaison team, library service, PACT team, resettlement team or other department. Read more here.
National Literacy trust
The National Literacy Trust runs a range of projects in prisons and Young Offenders Institutions to widen access to reading for pleasure, creative writing, audio creation and family storytelling:
Their Books Unlocked initiative provides people in prison with access to Booker Prize-nominated titles to encourage reading for pleasure.
New Chapters is an initiative that supports young people through the power of creative writing.
Readconnect supports people in prison to maintain bonds with their children trhough storytelling, creative writing and other literacy building activities.
Inside Stories with Audible provides audiobooks and audio-based storytelling activities to young people in custody, as a way to help build literacy, communication skills, confidence and self-expression.
Prison Reading Groups
PRG helps to set up, fund and support reading groups within prisons. They work closely with prison library staff who help to organise the reading groups in the prison and sometimes run the reading groups. Their Reading the Way project is aimed at emergent readers. Raising Readers helps parents in prison to connect with their families through shared reading experiences. Learn more
The reader
The Reader runs shared reading groups in prisons to improve wellbeing and literacy. Reading Aloud sessions involve reading short stories and poems aloud and discussing them in a relaxed, informal way. Learn more
The reading agency
The Reading Agency works with prisons across the UK to support reading and literacy skills among adults. Their Reading Ahead programme encourages people in prison to read a total of six books and reflect on what they have been reading. They provide Quick Reads books which are short, accessible texts for less confident readers. Learn more
Shannon trust
Shannon Trust runs a peer-mentoring scheme to help people in prison gain confidence in both their reading and literacy skills. Learn more
Storybook dads (and storybooks mums)
Storybook Dads supports parents in prison (both dads and mums) to record bedtime stories and messages for their children as audio or video. See their website for a range of additional activities to strengthen connections between incarcerated parents and their children. Learn more.
Arts and creative writing
Penned up
Penned Up works with people in prison to create a literature festival in different prisons. The festivals are organised by a committee of incarcerated persons and library and education staff who put forward ideas for speakers and events. You can read more about Penned Up and see examples of previous festivals at this site.
koestler arts
Koestler Arts (formerly the Koestler Trust) is a UK-based prison arts therapy charity which encourages people in prison to engage in the arts as a form of rehabilitation, self-expression and wellbeing. They curate exhibitions to showcase the creativity of people in prison. Learn more.