Many state prison systems systematically ban women’s health books, often labeling depictions of the female anatomy as "sexually explicit.” The Prison Library Project created a first-of-its-kind women’s health book, Contrabanned, that overcomes this illogical ban because each of the 250 pages were sent as letters to those who are incarcerated. While books may be banned, letters are not. 

As for the execution, over the course of three months, each page was sent to an incarcerated woman—a former nurse whose name is being kept anonymous for her safety. She then stitched the pages together using dental floss available in the prison commissary to create a complete book. The woman also made printouts of the pages which she shared with fellow inmates, enabling them to assemble their own books.

But the Contrabanned book is about more than cleverly designed material that outsmarted state prison bans. The book, created by female health literacy experts and medical students, explains relevant topics such as menstrual health, breast cancer, and sexual health simply and clearly. It was written and designed specifically for the 975,000 incarcerated women in the US, 70% of whom cannot read at a fourth-grade level. 

It is our hope that Contrabanned becomes the first-ever women's health book that is allowed in all prisons across the United States. We need your help to make that happen! 

By signing this petition, you can help make this a reality! 

Signing this petition shows you are in support of the following: 

1. Repealing all content-based and content-neutral censorship policies at state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including approved vendors, prior approval, limitations on the color of packaging, the denial of free and used books, and the rejection of packages due to mailing labels. 
2. Through state and federal legislation, requiring state corrections departments and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to follow the new American Library Association (ALA) standards for all carceral libraries. The latest set, being published in September 2024, addresses the unique needs of diverse incarcerated populations, including women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and youth, aiming to meet their literacy and informational needs.  
3. Encouraging federal representatives to support the federal Prison Libraries Act (H.R. 2825). The Prison Libraries Act seeks to improve access to educational, recreational, and rehabilitative resources for incarcerated individuals through enhanced library services. The bill was introduced to the House in April 2023 and has not seen any movement yet.