In New York and across the U.S., many prison libraries are cash-strapped with a limited budget. Library shelves at correctional facilities may not be well-stocked with compelling reading materials.

Beacon Prison Books is an organization that wants to show its support for incarcerated people across New York, and is doing so by providing a service for those who need it.

When Mark Trecka co-founded the project more than two years ago, he had no idea that it would take off. The project has given nearly 2,000 books to incarcerated people.

“The project is essentially premised on dignity and humanity,” Trecka said. “And we think that people are worthy of some contact and a book to read.”

Trecka, the shopkeeper at Binnacle Books, keeps track of where the books are going by using the inmate’s identification number or DIN. Every book comes with a hand-written note.

“We maintain a P.O. box at the Beacon Post Office. Incarcerated people write to us at that P.O. box and request particular titles, or general subjects,” Trecka said. “We help figure out what an appropriate book would be within that subject; we acquire the book through the book shop; and then it goes on to our dedicated Beacon Prison Books Project shelf.”

The requests vary from self-help books to books about starting a business, or even fantasy books.

Once on the display shelf, customers at the bookstore can buy a book on an incarcerated person’s reading list as a gift. Trecka says his shelves are often overflowing, as requests come in from incarcerated people across New York.

Once a week, volunteers with the organization pick up the books that have been sponsored to pack them up and ship them out to incarcerated people.

“In some cases, there are prison libraries, and somebody has been incarcerated for a few years and has read everything in the library, and is hungry for more,” Trecka said. “Resources are certainly limited within those facilities.”

It’s intellectual freedom for an under-served population. For some, it’s access to knowledge and ideas for a successful transition back into society.

Trecka and his team often hear back from people once they’ve received their books. The message is usually one of gratitude and appreciation.

“One guy told us that he loves receiving packages of food from his family, [but] he gets even more excited when he receives a book from the Beacon Prison Books Project,” Trecka said. “Being able to read and keep your mind alive is absolutely crucial.”

The benefits of prison education are well-documented. It improves inmate behavior and is key in reducing crime because it leads to lower recidivism rates. A study by the RAND Corporation, a think tank, says inmates who received a correctional education had a 43% lower chance of reoffending than inmates who did not.