When a parent is incarcerated, a child’s world changes. Aunt Mary’s Storybook helps bridge that distance by recording parents and relatives reading stories so the children important to them can still hear their voices, feel their love, and know they are not forgotten.

“When a mother goes to prison, usually it is her children who suffer most … maternal imprisonment affects future generations because children’s psychological health and sense of family is severely damaged by the separation from their mothers.”

Aunt Mary’s Storybook began in 1993 as a small holiday project at the Cook County Jail in Chicago. Today, it operates in 14 facilities and serves as a model for similar programs across the world.

How It Works

• Parents or grandparents in correctional facilities select a book from the wide collection we bring
• With the help of volunteers, participants record themselves reading and add a personal note for their child.
• The book and recording are mailed to the child, letting them hear their loved one’s voice and feel connected.

Partner Facilities:
Cook County Jail – Chicago, Illinois
DeKalb County Jail – Sycamore, Illinois
Kane County Jail – St. Charles, Illinois
Kendall County Jail – Yorkville, Illinois
Will County Jail – Joliet, Illinois
Centralia Correctional Center – Centralia, Illinois
Decatur Correctional Center – Decatur, Illinois
Joliet Treatment Center – Joliet, Illinois
Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center – Kewanee, Illinois
Lawrence Correctional Center – Sumner, Illinois
Logan Correctional Center – Lincoln, Illinois
Menard Correctional Center – Chester, Illinois
Menard Correctional Center Medium Security Unit – Chester, Illinois
Sheridan Correctional Center – Sheridan, Illinois

Good Morning America Story

Donate to Support This Project

Join our Aunt Mary’s Storybook Giving Circle. By signing up to donate $10 a month, you’ll be giving men and women the chance to share their voice and love with the special children in their lives. Click here to support this project.