Books Behind Bars: Help Us Build a Jail Library!

Skylight Books is proud to join a grassroots campaign spearheaded by the UCLA Department of Social Welfare and the UCLA Reimagining Social Welfare Collective to raise funds to build a sustainable library for incarcerated people at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility - the largest jail and mental health facility in the nation. With the blessing of the institution and in collaboration with the social work supervisor, this project has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life inside the facility. Because jails are considered temporary, there is currently no library in Twin Towers. Yet, people spend years incarcerated there while awaiting trial or serving their entire sentence. We believe that every Angeleno should have access to books. Full stop.

The funds we raise will be distributed between three needs: purchasing new books, mobile book carts and reading glasses. Funds will also be used to purchase books, carts, and glasses for Men's Central Jail and Lynwood Jail.  A wishlist has been compiled by those incarcerated at Twin Towers to give you an idea the type of books needed. Skylight will liase with social workers at all three facilities to assemble a final booklist and purchase books through our distributors (NOT Amazon :)).

Books give their readers an outlet for connecting with others, growth, and research shows that education is a key to reducing recidivism. We hope that this project will inspire similar actions at other jails nationwide.

If you are able, please donate to help us ensure incarcerated Angelenos have access to a sustainable library and the doors that are opened through books.

For more about the program and the organizers, check out this short video!