CBWP was founded in 2002 by a group of book enthusiasts and archivists, including Jack Slowriver, Jodi Ziesemer, Nicole Bussard, and Arline Welty.

[1][2] With inspiration from the Women's Prison Book Project in Minneapolis, and in an effort to fight back against the cruelties of the penal system while creating a sense of solidarity between people outside and inside, CBWP began as a feminist project operating out of a room in the Haymarket Co-op.

[4] Funding is received from both individuals and grants, and labor is provided from a large group of volunteers.

CBWP holds book drives with and receives support from many organizations, currently maintaining significant relationships with the following: Previous partnerships included Beyondmedia Education and Bookends & Beginnings.

[8] CBWP has a yearly budget of $15,000 made up of the general funding from donations and grants to the non-profit.