The Magnolia Book Project

We established the Magnolia Book Project to support family connections and literacy in children who have a parent in prison.

Our idea is simple. We source and package children’s books for distribution to people in Australian prisons and youth justice facilities. The books are made available – at no cost – to those who are parents or primary caregivers of young children. Those who are interested simply need to choose a book that they think their child will like, personalise the gift through gift tags or cards (that we provide), and then send as a gift to their child. The books are used to mark a significant family event, such as the child’s birthday, and have a special meaning in the lives of recipients

Why do we want to do this? Through no fault of their own children who have a parent or carer-giver in prison are also being punished. It is often an extraordinarily hard time for children and parents in prison struggle to find ways demonstrate their love and support. We also know that their ability to maintain close connections with children is critical to post-release success.

Even a small donation will allow us to buy a book that we hope will make a difference. The project is run on a volunteer basis and all donations go directly to buying books and cards for children.