Christian Library International provides adults and youths in prisons, jails and youth detention centers with Christian books, Bibles, CDs, and DVDs. The new and used materials are shipped directly to chaplains who distribute them by means of a lending library, a book cart or by personally giving them to the inmates.
Contents
Primary Mission
The CLI Vision Statement
To make fervent Christian disciples of prisoners in the US and around the globe.
The CLI Mission Statement
To glorify God by making disciples of prisoners through our Bible studies and Christian books.
The CLI Why Statement
Jesus loves the imprisoned and desires a personal relationship with them.
Beginnings
CLI was founded in 1996 by establishing a small Christian library of 100 books in a YMCA. CLI was founded by Kathleen Skaar shortly after becoming a Christian. She felt others could be mentored through reading Christian books.
In 2002, CLI began serving US prisons. The request for Christian books in the prisons led to CLI supporting over 1,300 US prisons today.
Prison Support
CLI works to support prison chaplaincy programs and assist the work of the church behind bars. The prisons CLI supports have a wide variety of needs, such as Spanish Bibles. In 2015, CLI sent its 1 millionth book to the prisons.
The CLI Youth Mission
Since 2007, in keeping with the focus on prisons, the CLI Youth Mission has distributed age appropriate Christian books, Bibles and materials to incarcerated young people.
Christian Book Drives
In January 2005, the Billy Graham organization contacted CLI with a book donation of 22 pallets of Christian books, Bibles, CDs, video tapes, magazines and tracts.
In 2007, Prison Fellowship donated a truckload of Christian books to CLI.
CLI conducts Christian Book Drives at churches around the US. We accept Christian books, Bibles, CDs, DVDs, magazines and tracts. A book drive sponsor, usually a church or scout troop, promotes the event in the local media, provides a drop-off point for the books, and then sends them to CLI. Complete directions are on the CLI website. CLI does not accept Sunday school "quarterlies" or any tape media.
Inmate Correspondence and the CLI Leadership Bible Study
Since CLI stamps its books, prison inmates can write to CLI with requests, comments and prayer requests. A team of CLI "Letter Minister" volunteers answer inmate letters every week. All inmates who write CLI are encouraged to enroll in the CLI Leadership Bible Study. About 5,000 letters and Bible studies are received and answered from prison inmates.