The Miraculous Transformation Wrought by Books in Prison
Tracie shares her awe and admiration for Dwayne Betts, who, as a result of being incarcerated as a teenager, discovered the power of reading in prison. He came out to become a lawyer and a published poet, founding Freedom Reads in 2020. The nonprofit has put custom made wooden libraries into over 560 prisons nationwide, transforming the lives of many prisoners. His pandemic puppy Taylor, a little Jack Russell Terrier, became Dwayne’s bridge to connect with people in his community with dogs being their common ground.
Incarcerated person's smuggled books change his life
A young man’s defiance of a book ban in solitary confinement changed his life, and after his release, he vowed to create prison libraries across the U.S.
Dwayne Betts (Freedom Reads)
Host Jason Blitman sits down with Reginald Dwayne Betts—poet, lawyer, and founder of —for an intimate conversation about transforming America's prison system one library at a time.
Freedom of the Mind
Poet Reginald Dwayne Betts discovered a new path through reading while incarcerated. Now his nonprofit Freedom Reads inspires hope by bringing books to prisons nationwide.
A smuggled book changed his life. Now he’s built 500 prison libraries.
Reginald Dwayne Betts was locked up as a teenager for carjacking. Books were his escape, and he went on to be a poet, lawyer and founder of Freedom Reads.
How books — and bookshelves — are helping incarcerated people in Connecticut
In Connecticut, formerly incarcerated people are building bookshelves and filling them with books for donation to prisons. They say reading helped them get through their own sentences.
The freedom to read
There are about 1.8 million people in the U.S. in correctional facilities, including state and federal prisons, local jails, juvenile detention centers and immigration detention facilities, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.
People who build bookcases for prisons have their own story to tell
Inside a workshop in Hamden, Connecticut, Michael Byrd and a co-worker are standing at their workstations. They’re sanding thin slabs of wood — the first step in building a bookcase.
Five Summer Reads from the Freedom Library
As the end of summer rolls in and life settles into a slower rhythm, it’s a good time to pick up a new read. Whether you’re cooling off with an ice-cold drink or staying inside to escape the heat, a thoughtful read can be a perfect companion.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah has won the 2025 Inside Literary Prize.
At a ceremony on Thursday night, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s Chain-Gang All-Stars was awarded the second annual Inside Literary Prize, the first-ever US-based literary award to be judged by currently incarcerated people.
Winner of the 2025 Inside Literary Prize Revealed
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah has won the 2025 Inside Literary Prize, an award judged by incarcerated readers, for his novel Chain-Gang All-Stars.
Inside prison walls, here's how a book program is changing lives
Accessing reading material in prisons is hard, but Freedom Reads co-founder Reginald Betts, a former inmate, went beyond books, creating libraries made by former prisoners.