GIVE BACK
THE PRISON BOOK PROGRAM

I remember so clearly the moment my cellmate handed me a book. Coverless and torn, it didn't matter the state it was in. Having no clue what the future held, I needed something, anything, to replace the words rambling and attacking me from within. Reading the book seemed to quiet my own thoughts, if even for a bit. The more I read, the more I felt “ok” within myself, and thus the reality of where I found myself. Eventually, reading got me to a place within where I could actually acknowledge and process all the thoughts and emotions whirling in my head. As my entire world seemed to be crumbling outside, a book in my hands served as the bridge back to safety and calm within. It quieted my mind enough to return to listening to my soul instead. Therein laid all the answers to get back home and with my kids.

Since that time, I found a way out of darkness and the choking grasp of shame. That journey is in Home is Within You, A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption. So when I found out that some prison facility libraries ordered my memoir for their inmates, I jumped for joy at the realization others behind bars might read its pages and find that home within them! My hope is to get it into as many incarcerated individuals hands as possible, especially parents.

The Prison Book Program partners with local book stores through wish lists, encouraging patrons to purchase and donate books they then distribute to hundreds behind bars throughout the Nation, including parents with children waiting for them to come home and those needing trauma and addiction recovery.

By purchasing a copy of Home is Within You through the Prison Book Program, you do two amazing things! You support the recovery and healing of those behind bars AND a treasured local book store! Plus, as a token of gratitude for your generosity, I also donate additional copies of Home is Within You directly to The Prison Book Program so, together, we can get it into as many incarcerated parents hands as possible.

There is a way out of the choking grasp of shame, darkness, and despair. There is a way to prevent generational trauma and stop the cycle. Join me in helping the incarcerated begin to build a home within. -Nadia

P.S. I thought you might want to see examples of some of the letters they receive at The Prison Book Program (Note: they have an affiliation with the Lucy Parsons Bookstore, so many readers call them “Lucy” See the letters below.