A recent Harvard Political Review article makes is crystal clear: it is more than worth your money to send books to inmates. If you know some people in prison, please do send them a good dictionary and some thoughtful reading.
If you don't know anyone living in a cell, then you can make a donation to my book fund. That's how I'm able to send reading materials to the men in prison that I keep in touch with through letters and very expensive phone calls. These guys appreciate your donations more than you can imagine, partly because it suggests that their existence matters on earth. There is so little evidence that they matter where they are, and even less to suggest that bettering themselves is supported. When they get books from me, they feel acknowledged, hopeful, and motivated to continue working on who they are. Everyone deserves to feel real.
Alice Hu for Harvard Political Review focuses on higher education and recidivism in the article I linked to above. Its a good article, highly related to access to books. If you have any questions about the subject: "How educated are inmates before they go in? How many inmates have access to higher education? What effect does continued education have on their future?" then read what Alice has to say. Without putting any personal commentary, she just crunches the facts.
But seriously, have you donated to the book fund yet? I would really like it if you did. So would my penpals.
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