DONATE

The Full Story

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In addition to writing books, JJ is deeply passionate about helping others. The setting of the sequel to Barren will be inside of a prison and,–with anything JJ writes–the endgame is to raise awareness to social injustice. By donating books to public institutions such as prisons, you can give back to those who were born into different life circumstances than yourself. Other guidelines and information about donating books are here: https://prisonbookprogram.org/donate-books/

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If your book (s) qualify send them via Media Mail to the details below:

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Bea Masters (she/her)

Program Manager, Prison Book Program

1306 Hancock Street, 

Quincy, MA 02169

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To donate to places local to you, find it here.

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The most in demand genres are as follows:

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Fiction

• Science fiction and fantasy

• Mysteries and thrillers

• Fiction by Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous authors

• Vampire or horror (such as Stephen King)

• Manga, graphic novels, comic books 

• Westerns

• Myths, legends, fairy tales

• Poetry

• Books in Spanish

• **Avoid beach reads or other books targeted exclusively toward women**

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Nonfiction

• Reentry guides and books specific to people in prison

• Trade skills

  • Auto mechanics, electrical, CDL licensing, carpentry, plumbing, etc.

  • Farming, beekeeping, homesteading, living off the land, gardening

• Hobbies

  • Coloring books

  • Art, especially how to draw

  • Crafts, especially crocheting, origami, making cards

  • Crossword puzzles, word search, sudoku

  • Guitar instruction and books about current music and musicians (rap, hip hop, rock, pop)

• Games and sports

  • Chess, wrestling, basketball, football, sports almanacs

  • Role playing games (including D&D) – check out our special RPG wishlist here!

  • Avoid tennis, running, golf, baseball, cheerleading

• Language dictionaries and grammar books (especially Spanish, American Sign Language, Japanese)

• Business

  • How to start a small business or nonprofit 

  • Real estate

  • Stocks and investing 

  • Personal finance

• Mental and physical health

  • Sexual abuse, trauma, addiction

  • Exercise (yoga, weight lifting, etc.)

  • Medical dictionaries, general health guides, and books about specific health conditions

  • Cookbooks and nutrition information

  • Avoid diet books, out of date health books, or pseudoscience

• Religion and occult

  • Non-mainstream religion, including Wicca, paganism, Kabbalah

  • Occult, including spirits, dreams, tarot, astrology, UFOs

  • Islam and Judaism

  • Bible dictionaries and concordances

• Reference books

  • Paperback almanacs, atlases,  dictionaries, thesauri, Guinness Book of World Records

  • Avoid large, heavy hardbacks and sets of encyclopedias

• Computers and technology

  • Basic applications and programming, mobile technology

  • Avoid computer books over 5 years old

• Law

  • Legal dictionaries, legal writing, and basic criminal or Constitutional law

  • Criminal or civil procedure

  • Legal resources specifically for people in prison (Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual)

  • Avoid law journals and attorney-level legal reference

  • Avoid non-criminal law, such as divorce, bankruptcy

• Study guides and accessible paperback textbooks

  • GED or HiSET study guides

  • Avoid GRE and grad-school level prep books

  • Avoid college literature compilations and anthologies, or academic journals

  • Avoid textbooks more than 4 years old, obscure subjects, teacher guides, or textbook supplements

• Nonfiction by Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous authors

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In the rare event your book(s) fall outside of the requested genres your book(s) will be passed along to a fellow charity or organization in a similar field of public service. 

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Thank you for taking the time to consider donating to others. 

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w/ Love

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