Bonding Through Books

Creating opportunities for love and learning: Establishing children’s libraries in prisons to nurture strong bonds between incarcerated parents and their children.

"Bonding Through Books" is a heartfelt initiative designed to strengthen the bond between incarcerated parents and their children through the shared joy of reading. Our mission is to create children’s libraries within prison facilities, offering families the opportunity to bond during in-person or virtual visits. These special moments allow parents and children to read together, and afterward, children can take the books home to cherish, reread, and relive the love and connection shared with their parent. At "Bonding Through Books," we believe every child deserves love and guidance from their parents, no matter the circumstances, and we are committed to making that possible.

HOW “BONDING THROUGH BOOKS” MAKES A DIFFERENCE

  • Provides an activity during family visits where children may feel anxious

  • Reading and looking at books together strengthens the parent/child bond

  • Increases the access to literature in the home

  • Improves the likelihood of a successful transition back into the child’s life post-release

  • Decrease the trauma for children during this challenging time

  • Creates purpose and community for the incarcerated by providing supplies to build bookshelves for other prisons

Reading for pleasure is more important for children’s cognitive development than their parents’ level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background.
— Sullivan and Brown (2013)