KITES LIBRARY

Implementation Frameworks

💡 What will it do, and how will it be implemented? What’s the timeline and the budget? What are the early ideas guiding it, and how will it be shared or distributed? How will we know it’s working?

All donations and expenses logged at Kites Library on Ko-Fi

ABOUT

Elevator PitchKites Library is a free zine archive of resource-sharing mini zines. This archive is designed to support impacted families, educators, organizers, and reentry efforts as they navigate the realities of U.S. incarceration today.

Kites Library is a free, digital collection of resource-sharing mini zines designed to support system-impacted communities and advocates as they navigate the realities of U.S. incarceration today. Rooted in system navigation and storytelling, the archive documents lived experiences and offers practical, cultural, and organizing tools for those directly and indirectly affected by incarceration.By offering free zine downloads, Kites Library equips grassroots organizations, educators, and the broader public with accessible materials to inform, organize, and point toward abolitionist futures. The series addresses prison life, abolition, reform, and re-entry challenges. It will launch in January 2026 with 50 zines by Ra Avis, leveraging her extensive online presence and lived experience as a formerly incarcerated person to promote the project.A zine is a micro, DIY publication often distributed for free or low cost. These might include poetry, personal narratives, and data to provide a personal and cultural record of incarceration’s impact. Mini zines, a non-staple format, are easily distributed into prisons. This project is both an artistic endeavor and a tool for education and reform, making the justice system’s unseen aspects accessible, relatable, and—by the very nature of zines—tangible.

WHY ZINES

*About 38% of websites from 2013 are now gone. By using printed, personal materials alongside digital ones, this project helps make sure the work doesn’t disappear. *

Mini zines make it easier for people who are currently incarcerated to take part in the conversation. These small, DIY paper booklets can be sent through the mail and are usually allowed in prisons that still rely on USPS. Their format also helps create consistency, which will matter as the collection grows.Since the average reading level in the U.S. is below a 5th grade level, this format—with short, simple pockets of information—is easier for more people to understand and use.

3 Key Elements

Zine Series: A series of zines, each issue exploring different aspects of carceral culture and re-entry, featuring contributions from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as their families. Each zine could blend poetry, personal stories, and/or art with data and research on the criminal legal system. The content will not always be advocacy-based, but rather, a mix of personal reflections, cultural snapshots, and emotional experiences to give a fuller picture of carceral culture. In addition to its creative elements, each zine will be reviewed for ethos, and with varying literacy levels in mind.Free Download Platform: The zines will be available for free download via a dedicated website, making them easily accessible to grassroots organizations, educators, and the general public for self-printing. This platform will act as an archive of carceral culture. Submissions to this will be handled via mail or email.Periodic Showcases and Mini Free Living Libraries: The project will include periodic showcases and installations of two mini libraries in justice-aligned spaces. These mini libraries will feature printed zines from the collection, and a feedback mechanism, encouraging broader engagement and discussion within these communities.

HOW WE MEASURE SUCCESS

  • the number of zines created, distributed, and downloaded

  • the number of partnerships formed with grassroots organizations and bookstores

  • engagement metrics such as feedback and testimonials.

These measurements will reflect how effectively the project bridges the gap between the public’s understanding and the lived realities of incarceration.

Cataloguing

PERSONAL NARRATIVES (PN)
Firsthand stories from currently and formerly incarcerated people, and their families.
1. Life Inside
2. Re-entry Stories
3. Family & Loved OnesADVOCACY & ACTIVISM (AA)
Resources, ideas, and strategies for challenging the carceral state through abolition-centered grassroots action.
1. Prison Reform
2. Legislative Changes
3. Grassroots MovementsSKILL BUILDING (SB)
Practical knowledge to support legal empowerment, education, and job readiness during and after incarceration.
1. Legal Rights
2. Prison Education Programs
3. Vocational SkillsHISTORY & CULTURE (HC)
Exploring the roots, resistance, and cultural impact of incarceration through history and art.
1. Prison History
2. Prison Art & Literature
3. Cultural ImpactMENTAL WELLNESS (MW)
Guidance for mental and emotional health inside and beyond prison walls.
1. Coping Strategies
2. Rehabilitation & Healing
3. Support NetworksCOMMUNITY & CONNECTION (CC)
Solidarity, communication, and mutual support across prison boundaries.
1. Pen Pal Programs (e.g., one-on-one pen pals, holiday card drives)
2. Solidarity Networks (e.g., bail funds, court support groups)
3. Reentry & Post-Incarceration Support (e.g., peer-led support groups, housing mentorship)
4. Digital Connection P

FILE ID

Identifiers will be used to organize this project, designed so that an incarcerated person could intuitively recreate the structure without a guide. This layered system also helps define scope—each topic must fit within a designated category, subcategory, and format.

First Two Letters
Represents the major topic or broad category of the zine.First Number
Represents the subsection or specific focus within that major topic.Second Number
Represents format or medium.Y/X
Y if the zine is allowed in prison, X if the zine is not allowed in prison.Sequence Number
A unique identifier for each individual zine, allowing for easy tracking.Example
CC1.1.Y02
Community & Connection > Pen Pal Programs > Tips & Tricks + Yes can be sent inside + ID 02

DESIGN

Initial brand, templates, and zine layouts

  • A mix of in-house and freelance consultant design

  • Several fill-in-the-blank templates

  • Letters explaining the project and zines (for mailing into prisons and for the libraries)

  • Tablet friendly version for the zines

LIVING LIBRARIES

Set up & maintenance

  • Printing zines

  • Folding Zines

  • Necessary Signage

Direct mail to incarcerated individuals

  • Initial list purchase/rental

  • Printing/Shipping Costs

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

One-time expense

  • Freelance consultant design

  • Focus on cataloging capacity, a robust search, image downloads, and speed of the interface

  • Focus on SEO to help connect with micro grassroots organizations

WEBSITE HOST

  • Hosting (3 Years): $2,000

  • In-house maintenance

  • Extra large hosting capacity for the full sized images

PHYSICAL MAILBOX

PRISON ACCESSIBILITY MEANS SNAIL MAIL ACCESSIBILITY

  • Physical Mailbox (3 Years): $1,500

TRAVEL AND PROMO

  • Spread-the-word materials for local coffee shops and bookstores to find more micro organizations

  • Repeatable flier designs for pop-up events

  • Travel within Southern California

CONTINGENCY FUNDS

  • Collaborations with in-prison arts groups

  • Opportunity to travel outside of Southern California for partnerships

IDEATION STAGE (⭐ AS OF 7/1/2025)

  • ✅ Framework development

  • ✅ Rough ideas for logos

  • ✅ Rough ideas for zine possibilities

  • ✅ Basic site layout - KitesLibrary is functional but will not sustain the full breadth of the project (no search or mulipage capacity)

  • ✅ Submit to grants (As of 7/1/2025, rejected from 5 grants)

  • ✅ Set up donor area (https://ko-fi.com/kiteslibrary)

  • ✅ Test zine content & interactions with prisons

  • ✅ Test zine use in organizing groups

Phase 1 (First 6 Months after Funding)

  • ✅ Finalize logo

  • Develop Brand Kit

  • Content Development: This phase will focus on gathering content for the initial 100 zine series and creating a list of topics to be covered on the website (e.g., “How to Write a Postcard to an Incarcerated Person You Don’t Know,” “Getting Your Period When Locked Up and what we’re doing about it”, “What about Rape”, “How to Understand Crime Data on the News”). It will also involve explaining zines and zine culture.

  • Zine Creation: Design and develop the first set of zines, focusing on high-priority topics that can be in use right away.

Phase 2 (Next 3-6 Months)

  • Website Launch: Launch the Kites website, featuring the first zines available for free download, the list of topics for future zines, and the submission platform for additional content.

  • Zine Release & Distribution: Release the first batch of free and downloadable zines (about 20-50 issues) on the website.

  • Mini Free Library Installations: Begin installing the first mini free libraries in a partnered justice-aligned space, such as community centers, re-entry programs, and cultural hubs. These installations will feature the initial series of zines, a feedback mechanism, as well as additional resources related to re-entry and prison reform.

  • Content Expansion: Expand the list of zine topics on the website and continue to gather new content from incarcerated individuals, their families, and grassroots organizations. Aim to cover a wide range of personal, practical, and cultural topics.

Phase 2 (Next 3-6 Months)

  • Ongoing Zine Production: Continue producing new zines on a rolling basis, with the goal of reaching hundreds of zine editions. Ensure content is diverse, covering a wide range of topics from daily prison life to cultural reflections on the criminal justice system.

  • Periodic Showcases: Host periodic showcases featuring new zines and two mini library installations in different cities and communities. These showcases will serve as both promotional events and educational opportunities to foster dialogue around prison experiences.

  • Community Engagement & Partner Events: Continue collaborating with grassroots organizations and community spaces to host zine reading circles, workshops, and panel discussions. These events will facilitate broader engagement with the project’s content and encourage public discourse around justice reform.

Ongoing

  • Archive Growth: Expand the digital archive on the website, continually adding new zines and user-generated submissions. This phase includes increasing the number of downloadable resources and continuing to make the zines easily accessible to all.

  • Long-Term Expansion: Scale the project by installing additional mini free libraries in new locations and partnering with more organizations to distribute the zines. Regularly update the topics list and ensure continued content contributions from incarcerated individuals and their communities.

PERSONAL NARRATIVES (PN)

  • (open)

ADVOCACY & ACTIVISM (AA)

  • What is Intersectionality?

  • What is a Non-Reformist Reform?

  • Understanding Abolition: What Does It Mean to Abolish Prisons?

  • What is Decarceration?

  • Systemic Racism: How It Shapes the Criminal Justice System

  • White Supremacy in the Carceral State

  • Restorative Justice: An Alternative to Punishment

  • Transformative Justice: Building a World Beyond Harm

  • The School-to-Prison Pipeline

  • What is the Prison Industrial Complex?

  • The Impact of Capitalism on Mass Incarceration

  • Mutual Aid: What It Means and How to Practice It

  • What is Criminalization?

  • Disability Justice and Incarceration

  • Abolitionist Feminism: How Gender Plays a Role in Carceral Justice

  • What is Carceral Feminism?

  • Police Abolition: What Does Defunding the Police Mean?

  • Prison Labor: Modern-Day Slavery?

  • Mass Surveillance and Its Role in Oppression

  • What is State Violence?

  • Anti-Blackness and the Prison System

  • The Role of Class in Criminal Justice

  • What is Settler Colonialism and Its Impact on Incarceration?

  • What is the Prison Abolition Movement?

  • Environmental Justice and the Carceral System

  • Queer and Trans People in the Criminal Justice System

  • What is Privilege?

  • What is Social Justice?

  • Prison Gerrymandering: How Prisons Affect Political Power

  • How the World Responds to Palestinian Incarceration

  • The Role of Prisons in Palestinian Resistance

  • How Prisons Are Used as Political Tools

SKILL BUILDING (SB)

  • How to Find Legal Resources While Incarcerated

  • How Prison Education Programs Work

  • 3 Ways Education Helps Reduce Recidivism

  • What Skills Can You Learn in Prison?

  • How Vocational Training Prepares You for Release

  • How to Access Vocational Programs in Prison

  • Where to Find Resources After Release

  • How to Apply for Jobs After Release

  • How to Talk to Kids About Incarceration

  • Parenting Tips from Behind Bars

  • How to Advocate for Justice

  • How to Volunteer with Prison Advocacy Groups

  • How to Advocate for Prison Reform

  • How to Work with Local Government on Reform

  • Prison Reform Organizations to Know

  • How to Apply Restorative Justice in Your Life

  • What Restorative Justice Looks Like in Practice

  • How to Get Involved in Restorative Justice

  • How to Get Involved in Prison Reform

HISTORY & CULTURE (HC)

  • 5 Key Moments in U.S. Prison History

  • How U.S. Prisons Became Racially Disproportionate

  • How Private Prisons Grew in America

  • Famous Historical Letter: Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Famous Historical Letter: Angela Davis

  • Famous Historical Letter: George Jackson

  • Famous Historical Letter: Assata Shakur

  • Famous Historical Letter: Mumia Abu-Jamal

  • Famous Historical Letter: Leonard Peltier

  • Famous Historical Letter: Gordon Hirabayashi

  • Famous Historical Letter: CĂ©sar ChĂĄvez

  • 3 Famous Works of Literature Written in Prison

  • 3 Incarcerated Voices That Shaped Music & Art

  • How Prison Films Shape Public Perception

  • How Incarcerated Artists Create Visual Art

  • Famous Prison Artists and Their Work

  • 3 Famous Poems Written in Prison

  • Themes of Survival in Prison Poetry

  • How Prisoners Use Poetry to Express Freedom

  • What Makes Norwegian Prisons Different?

  • Can Norwegian Prison Models Work in the U.S.?

  • How Human-Centered Prisons Reduce Recidivism

MENTAL WELLNESS (MW)

  • The Role of Trauma in the Criminal Justice System

  • How to Manage Anxiety in Prison

  • Daily Routines for Mental Stability

  • How to Access Mental Health Resources in Prison

  • What is Trauma-Informed Care in Prison?

  • How Group Therapy Programs Help

  • Finding Inner Peace Through Mindfulness

  • How to Build Mental Strength in Prison

  • Finding Peace Through Meditation

  • Daily Practices for Mental Resilience

COMMUNITY & CONNECTION (CC)

  • How to Connect with Someone in Solitary

  • Rebuilding Trust with Family After Prison

  • How to Deal with Stigma Post-Prison

  • Support Systems for Families of the Incarcerated

  • Staying Connected with Loved Ones While Incarcerated

  • Benefits of Writing to Incarcerated People

  • How to Join a Pen Pal Program

  • Tips for Starting a Pen Pal Relationship

  • How to Write a Letter of Hope to an Incarcerated Person

  • What Is a Solidarity Network?

  • How to Start a Solidarity Network

  • Staying Involved with the Incarcerated

  • How Outside Support Networks Can Help You

  • How to Find Legal Aid for Your Incarcerated Pen Pal

KITES LIBRARY SPECIFIC

  • What is this?

  • How does the catalogue work

  • Zine's radical history