News of Interest

Selected news stories of interest to the Freedom Reads community.

People in LA Jails Need Books. She's Making it Happen
LAist by Emily Elena Dugdale February 8, 2023

Former jail mental health clinician Ahmanise Sanati returns to LA County Jails with book donations, a crucial supplement in facilities with no established library system.

What's It Like to Be an Editor of a Prison Newspaper?
JSTOR Daily by Phillip Vance Smith II November 10, 2022

Phillip Vance Smith II recounts the history of The Nash News, Nash Correctional Institution's in-house publication, and what it takes to be a journalist there.

Pell Grants in Prison: A New Effort to Fund Degrees For People Behind Bars
NPR by Elissa Nadworny June 28, 2022

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, 1.5 million currently incarcerated people will be newly eligible to receive Pell Grants, increasing access to higher education for thousands of academically eligible students.

A Prison Warden's Victory Over PTSD
Guideposts by Randall Liberty March 31, 2022

Prison warden Randall Liberty writes about acknowledging his history of PTSD and how this changed his approach to incarceration.

The Biggest Crop in Prison Gardens: Hope
The Crime Report by TCR Staff December 21, 2021

An in depth look into the history of prison gardens in California -- how they started, what benefits they offer, and what their future looks in the new post-COVID era of prison programming.