Former ND Senator Launching Book Drive for Inmates

Donations will be accepted until March 15.

FARGO, N.D.–A former North Dakota Senator is working to launch a book drive for inmates.

Tim Flakoll was a member of the North Dakota State Senate for 18 years. Now he is attempting to collect books to donate to jails for inmate reform efforts.

Studies have shown that giving prisoners access to educational tools such as books can lower recidivism by 43 percent, and ultimately save communities and states hundreds of millions of dollars.

Flakoll says, “Books provide a knowledge base, information bridge and power of transformation. The prison library is often the only resource the short-timer has.”

The drive is looking for fiction and non-fiction soft-cover books ranging from topics including drug and alcohol recovery, dictionaries, sports, self-help, mysteries, westerns, computers, history, poetry, art, business and more.

Donations should be limited to ten or fewer books and will be accepted until March 15.

Anyone interested in donating can drop books off at Tim Flakoll’s office at Suite 110, NDSU Renaissance Hall or contact him at tim.flakoll@gmail.com for questions.