NDSU students donate hundreds of books to Clay County jail

A student-led group at NDSU has donated more than 600 books to the Clay County Jail as part of an initiative to support education, literacy and personal growth for incarcerated individuals.

The donation was part of the Reading for Reform Book Drive organized by the NDSU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. A group of undergraduate and graduate students from the honor society meet weekly to read and discuss literature related to incarceration, justice and reform. The students collected and sorted the books during the spring semester, selecting titles that span genres such as fiction, nonfiction, self-help, poetry and history.

“When people have access to books, they gain more than knowledge, they gain perspective, confidence and the tools to make meaningful changes in their lives,” said NDSU Phi Kappa Phi chapter president and Cass County Commissioner Tim Flakoll. “The question is, do we want them to be better than when they went in or not? I say yes, let’s work together to make these individuals better.”

The project is part of a growing national movement to expand access to educational resources in jails and prisons. By building the Clay County jail’s library collection, the group aims to foster rehabilitation, reflection and enrichment for individuals in custody.

The book delivery included classics, contemporary titles and practical guides, ranging from novels and memoirs to dictionaries and language books. Student volunteers also created an organizational system and catalog to help the jail staff and residents track and access the materials more easily.

The NDSU Inside-Out Reading Club in Phi Kappa Phi is affiliated with the national Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, which brings college students and incarcerated individuals together in collaborative, discussion-based courses. The NDSU group also works locally to raise awareness and create community partnerships focused on criminal justice and educational equity.

The Clay County jail, located in Moorhead, Minnesota, serves inmates from across the region and supports a variety of rehabilitative and reentry efforts.

For more information about NDSU’s Inside-Out program and other student-led initiatives, visit www.ndsu.edu.