Can reading set you free? This poet thinks so.
How has literature changed your life?
For poet and lawyer, Reginald Dwaye Betts, books meant freedom. After getting sentenced to 9 years in adult prison at 16, Dwayne felt a sense of hope and possibility whenever he was reading. Upon his release he founded Freedom Reads, an organization that builds libraries within prisons across the country to provide a physical space where those incarcerated can read and dream together.
Dwayne Betts in Conversation with Raquel Marinho
Few writers explore questions of justice, identity and transformation as powerfully as Reginald Dwayne Betts. Covering how the poet, lawyer and memoirist’s work is shaped by his lived experience of incarceration, this talk is not to be missed.
Dwayne Betts on The Illiad
The Atlantic Announces First Speakers and Programming for the 18th Annual Atlantic Festival, September 17–19 in New York
A screening of the forthcoming PBS documentary series Crime and Punishment, which explores the 250-year history of the United States’ criminal legal system, directed by Lynn Novick and executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard, followed by a discussion with Novick and the poet Reginald Dwayne Betts
'The Business of Forgieveness': Martine Leavitt and Kristen McCallum in Conversation
Martine Leavitt’s speculative YA story Whenever You Are and Kristen McCallum’s debut YA contemporary novel Free Girls may seem different on their face, but they share a poignant through line: teens grappling with the stigma around juvenile detention. Clem, the protagonist of Leavitt’s novel, cherishes his friendship with fellow inmate Finn, and when Finn disappears, he questions what happened to him. In Free Girls, Jasmine struggles to adapt to life with her new stepfamily when her mother demands that she keep her time in juvenile detention a secret. Here, Leavitt and McCallum reflect on internal and external shame, their experiences as debut vs. veteran authors, and how their books can help teens in similar scenarios feel seen.
IDOC hosts Freedom Reads for Inside Literary Prize event at Logan and Shawnee Correctional Center
Last week the Illinois Department of Corrections welcomed the national non-profit Freedom Reads to Logan and Shawnee Correctional Centers to facilitate book discussions, voting and author events for the third annual Inside Literary Prize.
Illinois Department of Corrections Hosts Freedom Reads for Inside Literary Prize Events at Logan and Shawnee Correctional Centers
Launched in 2023 by Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation with support from Lori Feathers, the Inside Literary Prize is the first-ever US-based literary prize awarded exclusively by currently incarcerated people. This week, incarcerated readers at both Logan and Shawnee Correctional Centers are serving as judges for the 2026 Prize.
IDOC Expands Freedom Reads Partnership With New Libraries, Hosts Inside Literary Prize Events at Correctional Centers
As part of the visit, seven new Freedom Libraries were unveiled at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, a women’s facility, bringing the total number of such libraries across four IDOC facilities to 35 since 2022. Existing locations include Decatur Correctional Center, Illinois River Correctional Center and Lincoln Correctional Center.
The events coincided with the third annual Inside Literary Prize, a national award judged exclusively by incarcerated readers. Participants at both Logan and Shawnee correctional centers took part in discussions, author engagements and voting on this year’s shortlisted books.
The Freedom Reader
Conan talks to Reginald Dwayne Betts from New Haven Connecticut about a past mistake that led him to a life of enrichment, education, and eventually the founding of FreedomReads.org, a non-profit that transforms the experience of incarceration by opening libraries in cellblocks.
Haymarket Books and Mellon Foundation Announce Third Cohort of ‘Writing Freedom’ Fellows
Twenty Writers Impacted by the Carceral System Recognized for Meaningful Contributions to Contemporary Literature
Haymarket Books and the Mellon Foundation today announced the third cohort of the Writing Freedom Fellowship, recognizing twenty emerging, mid-career, and established poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers whose lives and work have been impacted by the carceral system.
You Gotta Win Joy with Reginald Dwayne Betts
Dwayne explains how he became intentional about singing a different song after realizing he’d become a long suffering Black man. Plus, why he believes identity is always in flux and why he said he’s never had a problem reading his work in prisons until he started writing about love.
Inside Literary Prize, First Major Book Award Determined by Incarcerated Judges, Announces 2026 Shortlist
Launched in 2023, the Inside Literary Prize is the United States’ first major literary award judged by people in prison. The prize is a collaboration between Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, the Center for Justice Innovation and Lori Feathers, podcaster and co-owner of Interabang Books.