University of Utah “Alt Breaks” comes to PLP

PLP was pleased to host a group from the University of Utah again this week, as part of the Alternative Breaks program of the Bennion Center. On Alternative Breaks, teams of students, along with faculty/staff partners, work alongside communities throughout the western United States on a variety of community-identified projects to address a variety of social and environmental justice topics. “Alt Breaks” collaborates with nonprofit organizations to promote lifelong activism through community engagement, education, dialogue and reflection. Alternative Break teams address critical community issues such as food access, illiteracy, environmental degradation, gender, society equity/justice, animal welfare, discrimination, inadequate housing, hunger, and poverty in cities and communities different from their own.

A group of 11 participants from the university traveled to the Bay Area to work with several local projects focused on the carceral system. They joined PLP for a book-packing session on Tuesday, responding to individual letters from incarcerated readers all over the country. The students selected books and filled out address labels and invoices for the packages, including personal notes to each recipient.

“It’s incredibly eye-opening to be able to read letters from people behind bars and discover their reading interests,” said one participant. “I appreciate the experience and you having us in your library.”

Prisoners Literature Project hopes to welcome another group from University of Utah next year!