How difficult is it to read in prison? That varies, lawyers say.

Access to educational opportunities in prisons has been shown to reduce recidivism, and when opportunities in correctional facilities are inadequate, inmates can turn to a good book.

However, “the prison system makes it very difficult to get books,” says Kelly Brotzman, executive director of the Prison Book Program.[Books] take on a greater meaning that non-inmates often do not appreciate.”

Brotzman said that policies vary widely at different prisons in Massachusetts and elsewhere, making it difficult for her organization to distribute books to inmates.

PBP is based in Quincy, but the organization mails books to prisons and detention centers in all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico—all for free. The group fills requests for job training books, novels, puzzle books, dictionaries, and even study guides for commercial driver's licenses.

“It's a kind of mental escape. It's a way to put the difficulties of prison life aside for a moment,” Brotzman told Boston.com, adding, “People write to us for carpentry, plumbing or electrical work, not because they want to damage their prison, but because they are very clear about their prospects if they ever get out.”

Inmates looking for a specific book can use the facility's libraries – which are generally filled with cheap, outdated books – or rely on family members to send the desired books to the facility, Brotzman explains.

Alexander Bolling, who is currently serving a two-year-to-life sentence at North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner after being convicted of a double murder, spent time at the recently closed MCI-Concord and MCI-Shirley correctional facilities.

“DOC libraries offer something on most topics, but [it’s] usually…out of date. If I want to read a new release, I have better luck leaning on a sibling, a mentor, or a program like PBP,” Bolling wrote to Boston.com, adding that the fiction and science fiction sections are better kept up to date.

Bolling said he relied on his siblings for books during the last 17 years of his incarceration. Since discovering PBP, he can request books on a specific topic and receive suggestions from the organization.

“At the beginning of my sentence, reading was basically my way of keeping my sanity,” said Bolling, who graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Emerson Prison Initiative in 2022. “Over the years, I participated in academic programs that took up the majority of my reading hours, but I always made time for reading that had nothing to do with school.”

Rules for sending books under the Prison Book Program

According to PBP, restrictions on receiving books in prison vary not only by state but also by facility. The organization has been around since 1972 and allows facilities a certain amount of “legacy status.” Even so, some states — including New England — can be picky about the books they receive.

Many Massachusetts jails operated by sheriff departments — including the Plymouth County Correctional Facility and the Hampshire County Jail — do not accept books from PBP, according to the organization's internal database.

According to Brotzman, there is a lot of variation among Massachusetts Department of Correction prisons. MCI-Framingham allows hardback books but is very picky about its “new books only” policy.

MCI-Norfolk only accepts new paperbacks, according to PBP, while Souza-Baranowski Maximum Security Prison in Lancaster accepts new and used paperbacks.

When asked about the rules regarding taking books into prison, the Massachusetts Department of Correction referred to general prohibitions regarding all incoming mail and all property.

“All publications must come directly from the publisher, a book club, a bookstore, or the Prison Book Program. Inmates there may own a maximum of ten books/magazines/newspapers,” their policy states.

John Odgren, who is also serving a life sentence at the NCCI after a murder conviction, told Boston.com he has received dozens of books from PBP, from friends and family, and through AbeBooks online. He said his science fiction collection would “put most libraries to shame.”

“Thankfully, the Guardians don't crack down on me because they know that having all these books is actually good for my mental health, despite the rules against clutter. So I'm in a kind of dangerous state of equilibrium,” he wrote. He also praised the NCCI library, to which he has donated his finished books over the years.

FMC Devens, a government health center in Ayer, accepts hardback books but not manga, according to PBP. They also previously rejected two books – “Guyland” and “My Struggle.”

Under federal policy, prison wardens can reject books that describe the use or manufacture of weapons that could aid escape, describe processes for producing drugs or alcohol, are written in code, encourage criminal activity or violence, or contain sexual content.

Brotzman said there are facilities in other New England states, such as Maine and Connecticut, where they cannot send books, either because they are not licensed dealers or because Connecticut has a strict “new book” policy.

“It's really tough when an entire state goes to new, and that's what's happening in Connecticut and Wisconsin right now,” she said. “We've gotten a number of packages back from Connecticut saying, 'Oh, wear and tear,' but that's the post office's fault. It's very frustrating when something like that happens.”

Massachusetts and other parts of New England aren't necessarily PBP's main focus, Brotzman said. Their Quincy location allows them to expedite the delivery of books to incarcerated people in the area, but their efforts are also focused on Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

“It opens people's emotional world to all kinds of experiences they haven't had yet,” she said. “Your personal development and growth as a human being is greatly enhanced by reading fiction. I think any kind of reading is tied to just becoming a better person.”