Literacy nonprofit Books To Prisoners (BTP) is now a permanent member of the PhinneyWood neighborhood. BTP’s mission is to send free books to incarcerated individuals throughout the US who request them).
For the first time in its 52-year history, BTP was able to purchase a permanent home, thanks to two generous donations that the 501(c)(3) organization received in 2024. It has recently completed its move from leased space at 76th and Greenwood to a commercial condominium about a mile farther north on Greenwood Avenue.
“It has been a years-long dream to have our own location,” says longtime volunteer Kris Fulsaas, “so we don’t have to move thousands of books and bookshelves whenever a lease expires.”
BTP operates almost entirely on volunteers to answer about 1,200 book requests from individual prisoners each month. Every time the organization moves, it suspends normal operations for two to three months, packing up thousands of books, moving a bookstore’s worth of bookshelves, and restocking the shelves. After this most recent move, BTP’s goal of answering every book request within 4–6 weeks is quite a bit behind schedule.
Currently BTP is still responding to prisoner letters received last November, and book packages waiting to be wrapped and mailed are piling up. PhinneyWood neighbors are invited to volunteer at Books To Prisoners to help catch up the backlog after this most recent—and, BTP hopes—last move. If you are interested in volunteering, you can visit BTP on Saturday, April 26, from 1 to 4 pm during its open house to thank volunteers and supporters and celebrate its new home. For more information, email [email protected]. BTP notes that it is not in need of book donations at this time; for details about the organization, visit www.bookstoprisoners.net.
