Sending books to prisons...

On a book-swapping website that I use, I had a charity that works with prisoners request several copies of BookCrossed books. It's the first time anyone's shown interest in these (out of date textbooks for the most part) so I imagine if this charity doesn't take them, no one will. But I know in the past I've read that BookCrossers aren't always comfortable with BC books ending up in prisons.

On the one hand, I know I can't control a book once it leaves my hands and it might just end up in a prison ANYWAY. But on the other, knowing that the book is going to the prison, and another BCer's information might be compromised, makes me unconfortable.

So I'm curious - what's your opinion? Would you honor the requests?

I wouldn't mind - I'm not sure what would be compromised by my sending a prisoner a book to read?

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Anyone who "catches" a book that has been through your hands can find all the information you put on your profile through the BCID, and having seen what you have on your BC profile, believe me, you don't want that info floating around a prison.

A non-BC book is obviously a different story, or you could remove or black out the BC labels.

Appreciate your concern lilithcat, if a prisoner wants to find details about me they don't need to go via BookCrossing... I just assume I'm uninteresting to most people I spose! INteresting to see what other people think.

I think if people were really that interested in me they could very easily find out the info. There is no such thing as privacy these days, only the illusion of privacy.

On another note, I no I have no control over books no longer in my possession, but I would be quite cranky if I found out another bookcrosser had removed or blacked out my labels!

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Hmmmm. When I worked at BN, people could not send books to prisons directly. Books had to be ordered and sent from the warehouse These were prison rules, which, I imagine, vary from state to state.

I'm both a BookCrosser and send books regularly to a prison inmate.

The books I send to the prison are *not* Bookcrossing registered. Regulations of the prison to which I send ensure that the book (1) is a paperback and (2) has no markings, labels, writing, or anything else on or in it. I have confirmation from the prison inmate that some of the books got to him while others did not. I'm not sure of the reason(s) why some of those did not reach him.

I send books because the inmate is a friend. However, if others wish to send books to prisons, this is a good resource:

http://www.prisonbookprogram.org/resources/other-books-to-prisoners-programs/