The Colorado Department of Corrections had 12,510 people in incarceration as of July 2022 according to an article by Lindsey Toomer. Now, Tattered Cover Book Store is trying to get books in more of their hands.

Tattered Cover is currently having their OpenBook Prison Book Drive, until Oct. 10. This event aims to give persons in incarceration here in Colorado the opportunity to create a better future through the power of books. Tattered Cover believes that “reading leads to empowerment and empathy, allowing each and every one of us to make more of our lives.”

Oftentimes, prisoners have not received high levels of education, which makes it difficult to lead a successful career after release. As stated in an article by Lucius Couloute from Prison Policy Initiative, there is a, “27% unemployment rate among formerly incarcerated people, [and] those with low levels of formal education face even higher unemployment rates.” Having access to a variety of reading material can help persons in incarceration move towards higher levels of education, in turn increasing their chances of creating a stable life outside of prison. Books can inspire, educate, and lead us to live happier and healthier lives.

This is the second year for the Tattered Cover book drive. Last year, this event allowed prisoners access to almost 900 new books across Colorado. Books on this year’s wishlist range from GED test prep to lessons on crochet, poetry books, autobiographies, comics, and more. To contribute to the drive, you can purchase books from the wishlist or donate money to Tattered Cover.