Prisoners Literature Project — Maddie Philhower

Prisoners Literature Project Brand Redesign

Spring 2026
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop
7 week Solo Project

Prisons are cracking down on books being sent through the mail, claiming that they could be contraband.

The Prisoners Literature Prokect sends books to prisons across the United States, giving incarcerated people direct access to reading materials for free. Their mission is to support incarcerated people in their pursuit of knowledge, give them choice over what they read, and them help maintain human contact.

Sifting through Pittsburgh newspaper data bases, crafting sentiment analysis, piecing together timelines, and traversing the Hill District made this book one of the most intensive and powerful projects I’ve ever worked on.
This project taught me the danger of a single story, and how damaging language can be when used to promote propoganda and divide communities. I was able to learn about the many facets of the research process, and how data visualization can be used as a tool for discovery when it goes hand in hand with thoughtful, grounded research process.

Thanks to Garrett Lee for being an incredible partner on this 7 week project.