By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Imagine being locked in a cell 24 hours, seven days a week with nothing to do but look at four dingy walls and think about the mistakes you've made in your life.
Fort Hays State University Professor Sarah Broman Miller saw this pain in a former inmate who became a friend. The woman, who was incarcerated in the Ellis County Jail, said she longed to have a book to read while she was in jail, but none were available.
"She had no books to read. She had nothing to do. She really felt helpless," Broman Miller said. "She said she thought if she had a book, just something to keep her mind occupied and maybe some self-help books or something to get her out of this depression she was in, that would have really been a benefit to her."
Broman Miller and her husband, Pastor Troy Miller of Hays United Methodist Church, created the Liberate Books Project in 2019. The project distributes books to jails and prisons across the state of Kansas.
Broman Miller estimated in the few years that the program has been active, the project has delivered about 11,000 books.
The program recently partnered with the Micah 6:8 project through the Hays First United Methodist Church so it can enjoy non-profit status and expand its services.
"I feel a responsibility, almost a moral obligation, to take care of people who maybe don't get help and who maybe don't get that kind of attention or love from others," Broman Miller said.
She said she is motivated to keep taking books to show people they are cared about, thought about and they are loved.
"... I think one of the biggest things we can do for humanity is just care for other people and especially people in our own state and who are having these problems," she said.
The project came as an offshoot of another program Broman Miller, who teaches teacher education, was working on with fellow FHSU Associate Professor in criminal justice April Terry.
Broman Miller and Terry take both education and criminal justice students to the Topeka Correctional Facility where they work with female inmates on a literacy project.
The students help inmates record themselves reading a children's book for their children or grandchildren. The program sends the recordings, the books and stuffed animals to the children. This program is ongoing.
As an afterthought, Broman Miller suggested the students take books to the prison to replenish the prison's library. Broman Miller sponsored a book drive for the prison.
"The support that came from the community was incredible," Broman Miller said. "It was like someone turned on a fire hose."
Broman Miller received so many books they took up a whole classroom at Hays First United Methodist Church.
Out of that outpouring of love, as Broman Miller described it, came the Liberate Books Project, which sends books to county jails across the state.
"What I found out is that a lot of county jails do not have libraries," she said.
Although the program that sparked the Liberate Book Project was exclusively for women, the book project offers reading material to all inmates.
Jail staff members are often surprised the program is offering the books for free, Broman Miller said.
Broman Miller's brother-in-law used to be a jailer in Johnson County. He started helping the Millers deliver books to the two jail facilities there. After he started to deliver books, he could walk the cell blocks and hear inmates talking about their favorite authors.
The program promotes literacy, but Broman Miller said it is also a comfort for the inmates, many of whom may be dealing with trauma or addiction.
"They are at the lowest part of their lives," Broman Miller said. "To have something there that says you're not alone. This book when you read is going to take you somewhere else other than your current state."
The project offers self-help books, which she said many of the inmates appreciate.
"If you are in a cell by yourself with nothing else to do but spend time thinking about your life, what a better place to have a book," she said. "I think it really does encourage people to become readers."
Broman Miller has delivered books to the state correction facility in Stockton, where the inmates helped unload the books.
"Seeing their faces, it was like a kid in a candy store. They were so excited to get the books. It has really helped to build their library," she said.
The couple has been loading down their personal vehicle and paying out of their own pocket for gas to take these books to the county jails and prisons.
The Northwest Kansas Library System recently donated books they were releasing out of their book talk collection. The couple recently took two carloads of these books to Norton.
"One time, there were so many books, I could barely fit my purse in the car," she said.
Although many people have expressed interest in donating monetarily to the project, until the Liberate Books merged into the Micah 6:8 social justice charity under the Hays First United Methodist Church, it did not have non-profit status.
"[Micah 6:8] focuses on social issues and these can be illiteracy, incarceration, poverty, food scarcity. We plan to address those types of things that are happening right here in our own community," she said.
This new status will allow the project to take donations that will be used to help with the expenses of getting books to the jails as well as ordering books that are specifically requested by inmates, Broman Miller said.
Prior to the non-profit designation, the Millers were paying for ordering books out of their pocket.
How you can help
In addition to book and monetary donations, the Liberate Books Project is also looking for volunteers to deliver books.
This could be individuals or groups. Broman Miller said you don't have to make a special trip. If you have plans to visit another community, you just have to be willing to take a load of books with you to that county's jail.
Broman Miller has the contacts and will make the arrangements for the delivery and make sure the books are loaded into the volunteer's vehicle in Hays.
"It would be genius. I already have the books. That person is already going," she said.
If you are interested in delivering books, you can email Broman Miller at [email protected].
"It's a really fun and good service project," Broman Miller said. "I really hope the community would like to get involved. For them, it's really not a hard thing. All they have to do if they're going that direction anyway is reach out to me."
The project takes all types of books, including all genres of adult books, picture books, chapter books and books for young adults.
The average American reading level is between sixth and eighth grade. The average inmate's reading level is between fourth and fifth grade.
Books and monetary donations can be made through Hays First United Methodist Church, 305 W. Seventh St., Hays. If sending a check, make checks payable to the church and put Liberate Books Project in the memo line.
"This really helps. People may think 'I'm only giving books. This is not that hard for me," Broman Miller said. "In fact, it's good for me because I'm cleaning out grandma's closet. Grandma died and I need to take these books somewhere. It's actually a huge blessing for the people who are receiving them.
"... your small donation of books or finances makes such a huge impact on these people."