Reconstructed is hosting a weeklong book drive from March 30 through April 4 to support incarcerated women and transgender individuals. The drive will collect books for the nonprofit organization Chicago Books to Women in Prison. This organization will then donate books to prisons nationwide.
Donation boxes are placed across campus, including one located next to the Financial Aid Office, making it easy for students to contribute. Organizers hope these accessible locations will encourage widespread participation.
This initiative marks a new direction for Reconstructed. In past years, the club focused on children’s literature donations, but this is the first time they have organized a drive aimed at supporting woman in prison. “Our team really wanted to have a donation drive that coincided with National Women’s Month,” said club member Alex Randak. “Our advisor found this organization, and we started setting it up.”
Founded in 2002, Chicago Books to Women in Prison is an all-volunteer nonprofit that fulfills hundreds of monthly requests from incarcerated women and transgender people. In 2025 alone, the organization mailed more than 2,550 packages to facilities in 25 states. These packages totaled over 7,650 books and composition notebooks together. Books are carefully chosen from a rotating collection of about 10,000 donated titles, making sure each package meets individual requests.
For many recipients, these books provide more than entertainment. They serve as educational tools, a source of personal growth, and a connection to the outside world. Volunteers say their work creates a lifeline for incarcerated readers, offering knowledge, comfort, and hope.
The need for these resources is clear. Women entering prison are more likely than men to have experienced trauma, abuse, or mental health challenges. Approximately 62 percent of women in prison are mothers of minor children, and LGBTQ+ individuals face disproportionate incarceration rates and harsher conditions according to the Books to Women in Prison website. Transgender Americans, for example, are particularly impacted by systemic inequalities, with one in six experiencing incarceration at some point.
While Reconstructed doesn’t know exactly how many books the campus will collect, organizers are keeping expectations modest. “We are hoping for less than three boxes worth” Alex elaborated because larger donations require additional processing steps with the organization. Even a smaller contribution can make a meaningful difference. Each book is matched with individual requests, ensuring that donations go directly to someone who requested it.
The organization accepts a wide range of books, though donors are asked to follow specific guidelines to meet prison regulations. These rules ensure that donated materials can be safely and effectively distributed. Each donation box has a list of requirements on it to help book donors select the right kind of books to donate.
For Reconstructed, the drive represents both a new opportunity and a deeper connection to social issues affecting marginalized communities. By aligning the project with Women’s History Month, the club hopes to raise awareness while encouraging students to take action.
As the drive continues through April 4, Reconstructed invites the campus community to take part, showing how small actions can create meaningful change beyond college walls.