Nonprofit in Jackson is trying to improve literacy in Mississippi jails
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – That’s how Miranda Vaughn describes what her organization does for prisoners.
Vaughn is the Program Assistant for “Big House Books”, a nonprofit that provides free books to people behind bars.
“That is one thing that makes us unique, that it is not like a library loaning type thing,” said Vaughn. “These are items that they can request and own for themselves free of charge.”
Here is how the process works. Inmates are allowed to write letters to the organization about their reading preferences and the type of books they are interested in. Organization members read the letters, select the books, package them, and mail them to the inmates.
“Incarcerated people have so little choice in their lives,” said Vaughn. “With this, they can write to us and say, hey I like James Patterson, I like Western, “It is a small thing for people who are already not in a great mental state. ”
Vaughn said, knowing how to read is a skill everyone needs, even those who have made a mistake.
“Not everyone who is incarcerated is educated, a lot of them are not,” said Vaughn. “Their reading levels are not as high as maybe someone else of the same age or socioeconomic background. We are able to sometimes give them a book in the same genre or maybe by a different author.”
300-500 books are given out each week. Vaughn said the impacts that the books have made on prisoners were one of the purposes for starting the nonprofit.
“They tell us,” said Vaughn, “You don’t understand the impact you make on people,” and it is wild the impact a few books a month can make. People have said that the books have even given them a reason to live.”
Big House Books started in 2014.
For more information on how you can donate books or volunteer with the organization, you can visit their website at bighousebooksms.org
