Reginald Dwayne Betts Performs Felon: An American Washi Tale at San Quentin

Freedom Reads, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to literature in prisons, announced that founder and CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts performed his acclaimed one-man show Felon: An American Washi Tale at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on March 4, 2026.

Based on his NAACP Image Award–winning poetry collection FELON, the performance explores incarceration, fatherhood, identity, and the role of literature in confronting harm and imagining freedom. The event was presented in partnership with the San Quentin Film Festival.

“Back in October, I was in San Quentin as a judge for the Film Festival and I was overwhelmed to receive the "Elliot the G.O.A.T Impact Award.” I knew then that I wanted to return with “Felon: An American Washi Tale”. March 4th is the day I got released from prison 21 years ago and it is always deeply meaningful to me to come back into prisons to perform my solo-show on this day."

Performing Felon inside San Quentin on the anniversary of his release underscored the personal and public dimensions of the work. The evening brought Betts’ poetry to an audience living the realities the performance examines, creating powerful moments of recognition and reflection.

Earlier in the week, the Freedom Reads team visited California Medical Facility where they opened 24 Freedom Libraries. Freedom Reads marks March 4 each year to commemorate Betts’ release from prison, with past performances at universities, theaters, and correctional facilities throughout the U.S.

The event is part of Freedom Reads’ national effort to expand access to literature in prisons across the country. In addition to opening handcrafted Freedom Libraries in correctional facilities, the organization partners with writers, artists, and cultural institutions to bring readings, performances, and conversations directly to incarcerated audiences. By presenting Felon inside San Quentin, Freedom Reads continues its work to ensure that people in prison have meaningful access to books, ideas, and the broader cultural conversation.