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.
We've put together a Books Are For Everyone reading list: eleven books that reflect the spectrum of urgent writing often targeted for censorship by prisons across the country.
As part of our Books Not Bars program, Haymarket will donate one book to someone who is incarcerated for every book purchased from this reading list until the end of October.
Books are for everyone! Abolish prisons!
Make a donation to support Books Not Bars
If you have a loved one inside you can complete the form linked below to request book(s) for them.
In 2026, we’re celebrating 25 years of publishing “Books for Changing the World.” In those 25 years, we’ve helped build critical space and infrastructure for radical ideas and movements on the left to grow. That work of institution-building and popular political education has never been more necessary or more urgent. We need your help to continue to do this work.