Prison Banned Books Week

Prisons are the largest censors in the United States.

Prisons and jails ban more books than all public schools and libraries combined. Prison Banned Books Week is an annual campaign that shines a light on this widespread censorship and advocates for the rights of incarcerated and detained people to access literature and express themselves freely. In partnership with organizations that champion free expression, the campaign underscores a powerful message: censorship has no place in a democracy.

Raising awareness of this most pervasive practice of censorship in America, the third, annual Prison Banned Books Week brings together over sixty organizations working for free expression. Independent booksellers, libraries, prison book programs, civil and First Amendment rights organizations and legal advocacy organizations work tirelessly to ensure the free access to information and ideas necessary for a democratic society.

This Prison Banned Books Week, we will be celebrating their work and offer ways to connect with these amazing organizations.