OUR MISSION 

Eventually, most inmates re-enter society. By encouraging literacy while incarcerated, we help them develop empathy, listening skills, and self-awareness.

Who we are

Book Clubs for Inmates (BCFI) is a registered charity that organizes volunteer-led book clubs within federal penitentiaries across Canada. BCFI is facilitating over 40 book clubs from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.

BCFI runs French and English language book clubs for men and women incarcerated in minimum, medium, and maximum security facilities. Book clubs usually comprise 10-18 members who meet once a month to discuss books, both fiction and non-fiction, of literary merit.

Every month, hundreds of inmates participate in book clubs across the country, and each year, thousands of brand-new books are purchased, read, and discussed. 

MEANINGFUL LIFE CHANGES

Discussion is mediated by community volunteers, who guide the conversation into themes such as identity, adversity, forgiveness, and resilience—and how these themes relate to the inmates’ lives. The book clubs encourage positive change through the power of literature.

The book clubs help inmates develop pro-social skills, such as respectful listening and speaking. And as inmates read and discuss literature, they also develop stronger reading and communication skills. All these together help them make meaningful life changes and reintegrate more successfully into the community upon release.

Our Vision

To establish book clubs in every federal penitentiary in Canada.

Official Land Acknowledgement

The Book Clubs for Inmates office is located on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. Today, the meeting place of "Tkaronto" (Toronto) continues to be home to many Indigenous people across Turtle Island, and we are grateful to work together on this land.

We acknowledge that the lands we gather once a month to listen to our stories, renew friendships, and make new ones are on traditional Indigenous territories. We gather at these places for storytelling across time and history, respecting Indigenous peoples' and their ancestors' diverse histories and cultures.

We strive for respectful relationships with all who gather with us. Wherever we gather with inmates, we seek collective healing and guidance within the bonds of friendship and reconciliation.