Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)

@appalachianpbp

We send free books and provide educational opportunities to people incarcerated in Appalachia. 📖

157 Following858 Followers246 Posts

Bluesky

Is this your profile?Claim it and appalachianpbp.dirty.social is yours.Claim profile

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· 12d

Happy #NationalBookLoversDay! Let’s be honest: Every day around here is a day for book lovers. Have you seen our office? It has the best vibes around. 📚

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· 21d

Mark your calendar for our August community wrapping party! Join us on Wednesday, August 12. We'll be at Ascend WV from 6:00 to 8:00 pm reading books, wrapping packages, and sharing books with incarcerated folks across Appalachia. ✉️📖📦 New and experienced volunteers welcome.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jul 15

Reminder: Applications for the 2026-2027 Darrin Lester Scholarship are due this Friday, July 17! 🎓 Learn more: appalachianprisonbookproject.org/what-we-do/e...

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jul 11

We received some lovely art from an incarcerated writer this week, along with a note: “I want to thank you so much for the books. It really means a lot and for y’all to do it for free it must take a lot of help. So here is something small to show you my thanks for everything y’all do.”

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jun 17

Applications for the 2026–2027 Darrin Lester Scholarship are due July 17! 🎓 We welcome qualified applicants to apply. Please share with your network! Get the details: appalachianprisonbookproject.org/what-we-do/e...

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jun 10

Spending time in Morgantown, WV, this summer? We hope you’ll join us for our June community wrapping party! APBP will be set up at the Ascend WV office on Wednesday, June 17, from 6:00-8:00 pm. Stop by anytime. New and experienced volunteers welcome. 🎉 See you there!

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jun 4

Some truly spectacular envelope art from someone incarcerated in Tennessee. 🦋 🌺

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jun 1

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Join us for our first-ever summer community wrapping party! ☀️ Beat the heat at the downtown Ascend WV office on Wednesday, June 17. We'll be wrapping books from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Stop by anytime. New and experienced volunteers welcome.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· May 13

Such a cool use of pencil shading on this envelope art! Can you spot the sun’s rays through the clouds? ⛅️

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· May 2

Today (Saturday, May 2) is the last day to participate in our #IndieBookstoreDay fundraiser! Here’s how you can help: Purchase a book from one of our indie bookstore wish lists and donate it to APBP. That’s it! Shop indie. Double your impact. It’s that easy. 📚

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Apr 22

Lots of books ready to be matched, wrapped, and sent on their way to people behind bars! 📚

A photograph of a bookshelf packed full of paperback books.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Apr 16

And that's a wrap on another great wrapping party! 🎉 Thanks to everyone who stopped by, helped out, brought a friend, and spent some time helping us send books to people behind bars. We couldn't do this work without you. 🫶

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Apr 1

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Mark your calendars for our April wrapping party! 🎉 Join APBP at Ascend WV on Wed., April 15, to help us send books to people behind bars. Stop by anytime between 6‒8 pm. New and experienced volunteers welcome. We hope to see you there! ✉️📖📦

A blue and white graphic with a photo of a book on it. The text reads: “Appalachian Prison Book Project Community Wrapping Party. Help us wrap books to send to incarcerated people in Appalachia! Wednesday, April 15. 6-8 pm. Ascend WV (1279 University Ave.). Questions? Contact us: AppalachianPBP@gmail.com.”

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Mar 31

Look at the detail on this gorgeous artwork! 🦋 We're always impressed by the creativity and resourcefulness of incarcerated artists—and so, so grateful when they share their work with us.

A yellow and green drawing of a butterfly on lined notebook paper.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Mar 5

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Mark your calendars for our March wrapping party! 🎉 Join APBP at Ascend WV on Wed., March 18, to help us send books to people behind bars. Stop by anytime between 6‒8 pm. New and experienced volunteers welcome. We hope to see you there! ✉️📖📦

A green and white graphic with a photo of a book on it. The text reads: “Appalachian Prison Book Project Community Wrapping Party. Help us wrap books to send to incarcerated people in Appalachia! Wednesday, March 18. 6-8 pm. Ascend WV (1279 University Ave.). Questions? Contact us: AppalachianPBP@gmail.com.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Feb 27

Thanks to everyone who joined our February community wrapping party! ✉️📖📦 We had a few more than 20 folks there who wrapped six boxes of books and processed a large bundle of new letters. Our next wrapping party is on Wednesday, March 18. Same time, same place. Hope to see you there! 🎉

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Feb 25

Last week, we held a discussion with Cohort 15 of the WVU Presidential Student Ambassadors. Thanks for talking with us about books, incarceration, education, and community service! 💙💛 And shoutout to our volunteer coordinator, Jordan Pugh, for leading the conversation. 🙌

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Feb 3

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Mark your calendars for our February wrapping party! Join us at Ascend WV on Wed., Feb. 18, to help us send books to incarcerated people in Appalachia. Stop by anytime between 6‒8 pm. New and experienced volunteers welcome. We hope to see you there! ✉️📖📦

“A pink and white graphic with a photo of a book on it. The text reads: “Appalachian Prison Book Project Community Wrapping Party. Help us wrap books to send to incarcerated people in Appalachia! Wednesday, February 18. 6-8 pm. Ascend WV (1279 University Ave.). Questions? Contact us: AppalachianPBP@gmail.com.”

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Jan 30

From an incarcerated reader in WV: "I just wanted to thank you for the William Johnstone book. I just started reading it and got to chapter 5 last night. . . Reading is my only way out besides my job and again thank you for giving me a chance to get out of my head." 📖

A blue graphic that looks like a stamp. The text reads: "Reading is my only way out besides my job and again thank you for giving me a chance to get out of my head." - West Virginia

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Dec 18

Shout out to all who braved the dire weather predictions and made it to our holiday wrapping party last weekend! Close to 30 folks showed up and prepped 250+ books to send for the holidays. And had a good time doing it! We're so grateful to you all. ❄️

A photo of a long table filled with books and paper. People are sitting on both sides. A group at the front is facing the camera, smiling, and wearing Santa hats.

A photo of a volunteer standing next to a USPS bin full of books.

A photo of a long table filled with books, paper, and people.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Dec 13

We’re all set up for the holiday wrapping party! Join us if your roads are safe to drive on. ❄️ P. S. There will be cookies.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Dec 10

Hey, WVU friends: Looking for a new book? Need a holiday present? 📚🎁 Mountaineers for Literacy and Liberation, APBP’s student org, is hosting a book sale this Friday. They’ll be set up at the Mountainlair on December 12 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. All proceeds will be donated to APBP! ❤️

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Dec 9

We're proud to share that APBP has received the 2025 Human Rights Advocacy Award from the Morgantown Human Rights Commission! 🎉 Thanks to our president, Connie Banta (left), for speaking so beautifully at the ceremony. Read more about the award: www.dominionpost.com/2025/12/06/n...

A photograph of three people at a podium. One is holding the award plaque.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Dec 7

Attention Morgantown, WV folks: Mark your calendars for our holiday wrapping party! ✉️📚📦 Join us at First Presbyterian Church of Morgantown on Saturday, December 13. Stop by anytime between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm EST. Snacks and holiday cheer provided. Bring your friends!

A black and white flyer with a green and red holly branch in the corner. The text reads: “APBP Holiday Wrapping Party. Saturday, December 13. First Presbyterian Church, 456 Spruce St., 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Help us wrap books and write holiday messages to incarcerated readers. Snacks and holiday cheer provided! Questions? Contact @AppalachianPBP.”

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Nov 22

We received a stunning letter (with something special attached) this week from a man incarcerated in Virginia. We want to share it with you all. Tldr: Books change lives. BOOKS CHANGE LIVES. And we couldn’t have helped this scholar without you. Thank you for your support.

A photo of a handwritten letter. The text reads:
“Dear Appalachian Prison Book Project,
I am so very proud today to give you wonderful people a copy of my diploma. And why am I giving all you guys at APBP this copy? It’s because without you and all of your donations, I wouldn’t have been able to pass! Please don’t laugh guys, this is very serious to me.
Over the years, you guys have given me math, physics, and also school books to help with my GED. I also want you to know that because of all of your help, I was able to keep a 28-year-old promise to my dad.
You see, my father dropped out of school in grade school. So he never learned to read or write. I made a promise to him when I dropped out to go back and get my diploma when things got better. Well, 28 years later and here we are.
Also, my 15 year old has ADD, and my youngest has autism, and I have ADHD myself. Well, because of you wonderful people at APBP, with your help in helping me, now you’re helping my sons also. Now they wanna be just like daddy . . .
I thank each and every one of you so, so much. God bless you all. And go home and tell your husband or wife, children or friends that you changed a life for the better. I pray you can help me on my next venture in life also. See the next page. Thank you so much guys. For me, but most of all for my sons.”

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Nov 12

Join us TONIGHT for our November community wrapping party! 🎉 We'll be at Ascend WV from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Stop by anytime. New and experienced volunteers welcome. No training required. See you there! ✉️📖📦

A green event flyer with photos of books and people around tables. The text reads: "APBP presents. . . Community Wrapping Party. Help us wrap books to send to incarcerated people in Appalachia. When? November 12, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Where? Ascend WV, 1279 University Avenue. Questions? Contact us at AppalachianPBP@gmail.com."

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Nov 12

We get 100-200 letters a week from people behind bars. Sometimes, they include artwork—whether on paper or on the envelope itself! Check out this fantastic illustration from an incarcerated artist in West Virginia. 🛻

A pencil illustration of a truck with “APBP” on the side. The drawing is on the front of an envelope.

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Nov 10

We had a fabulous time wrapping books with the WVU Presidential Student Ambassadors. 📚

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Oct 24

We have lots of books ready to be wrapped and mailed out to incarcerated folks! 📖 Volunteers, stop by anytime the Aull Center is open to help us get through this stack. 📚

Appalachian Prison Book Project (APBP)@appalachianpbp· Oct 17

Join APBP, Mountaineers for Literacy and Liberation, and the Appalachian Advocacy Network for a screening of "Calls from Home" on Wed., Oct. 29 at 6 pm EST! We'll be at WVU's Brooks Hall, Room 225. This event is free and open to the public. 🎥 RSVP at the link below. 👇