Books Behind Bars was started by Kay Allison of the Quest Institute in response to letters she was receiving at her Quest Book Shop from inmates seeking books.  Kay started responding to the letters and sending out as many books as she could.  Word about the free brooks spread throughout the Virginia prison system and for over 25 years, Kay and a group of volunteers sent out hundreds of books each year.

In 2015, Kay passed on the torch to the Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library who has assembled a great group of volunteers carrying out Kay’s great vision.  They read hundreds of letters from inmates and sort, shelve and ship donated books to the incarcerated population of Virginia.