Art from Inside is a curated selection of works that PBP’s readers and book requestors have sent to us over the course of many decades, often as a token of gratitude for a shipment of books. Many pieces are explicitly book-themed, depicting reading as a temporary escape from the confines of prison or as a vehicle for growth, learning and rehabilitation. Books are liberating for our readers in both senses. Without access to the internet, books often take on a significance to incarcerated people that folks on the outside struggle to understand. The pieces in this exhibit also showcase the detailed techniques that can be achieved with the simplest tools, most commonly ball point pen and pencil. Art from Inside shows how much talent, creativity and human potential resides behind bars.