Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

THE ORGANIZATION USES THE TRANSFORMATIVE TOOLS OF BOOKS, WRITING AND PEACEBUILDING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ASSISTING INCARCERATED AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED YOUTHS AND ADULTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR EDUCATION, CAREER AND LIFE GOALS, AND BECOME POWERFUL VOICES FOR CHANGE.

DURING 2021, FREE MINDS BOOK CLUB & WRITING WORKSHOP (ORGANIZATION) SERVED 1,140 INCARCERATED AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED YOUTHS AND ADULTS THROUGH FOUR PROGRAMS: JAIL BOOK CLUB - WEEKLY BOOK CLUB DISCUSSIONS AND WRITING WORKSHOPS WITH INCARCERATED TEENS AND ADULTS; WE SERVED 160 MEMBERS IN THE JAIL BOOK CLUB, INCLUDING 38 WOMEN AND 42 YOUTHS. WE ENSURED ACCESS TO OUR PROGRAM THROUGH DIGITAL TABLETS TO EVERY INCARCERATED PERSON AT THE DC JAIL (1,500 INDIVIDUALS) TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING DURING THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN WHERE ALL RESIDENTS WHERE CONFINED TO THEIR CELLS 24 HOURS A DAY. 97% OF OUR MEMBERS COMPLETED THEIR WEEKLY READING ASSIGNMENTS AND 85% COMPLETED THE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS.PRISON BOOK CLUB - A LONG-DISTANCE, CORRESPONDENCE-BASED BOOK CLUB AND WRITING WORKSHOP WITH ADULTS INCARCERATED IN JAILS AND PRISONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES;728 MEMBERS IN 100 PRISONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY RECEIVED 5 ISSUES OF OUR MAGAZINE, THE FREE MINDS CONNECT, WRITTEN BY AND FOR OUR MEMBERS, 4,163 BOOKS AND WORKSHEETS WITH WRITING PROMPTS, MEDITATIONS, PUZZLES AND BOOK DISCUSSIONS TO INCARCERATED MEMBERS TO COUNTERACT THE MENTAL TOLL OF ISOLATION. MEMBERS WROTE 1,269 LETTERS TO THE OFFICE AND SUBMITTED 609 ORIGINAL POEMS.REENTRY BOOK CLUB - A READING, WRITING AND JOB READINESS PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES WRAPAROUND CASE MANAGEMENT AND JOB AND SCHOOL PLACEMENTS FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED YOUTHS AND ADULTS; SERVED 252 MEMBERS IN THE REENTRY BOOK CLUB, WITH UP TO 70 MEMBERS JOINING WEEKLY VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB AND WRITING WORKSHOP SESSIONS AND SUPPORT GROUPS. 89% OF MEMBERS WERE EMPLOYED, IN SCHOOL, OR IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AND ONLY 14% RECIDIVATED. WE ESTABLISHED A NEW PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM AND TRAINED MEMBERS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO MEMBERS RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION.ON THE SAME PAGE - A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN WHICH FORMERLY INCARCERATED REENTRY BOOK CLUB MEMBERS SHARE POETRY AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCES TO BRING GREATER AWARENESS OF THE SYSTEMIC CAUSES AND IMPACT OF MASS INCARCERATION AND TO BUILD A MULTI-RACIAL MOVEMENT WORKING TOGETHER ON SOLUTIONS AND REPAIRING HARM. WE CONDUCTED 143 ONE THE SAME PAGE SESSIONS WITH SCHOOLS, CORPORATE WORKPLACES, AND WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, LED BY 40 REENTRY MEMBERS KNOWN AS POET AMBASSADORS.FREE MINDS WAS ALSO HONORED TO BE SELECTED AS ONE OF THREE AWARDEES OF THE 2021 JULIETTE GIMON COURAGE AWARD FROM GLOBAL FUND FOR CHILDREN, WHICH RECOGNIZES THE PERSEVERANCE OF ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ADVANCE THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. SIX FREE MINDS MEMBERS HAD THEIR POETRY FEATURED IN THE SHORT FILM LINES SCREENED AT SEVERAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVALS, WHILE ESSAY SUBMISSIONS BY TWO MEMBERS WERE ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY CRIMINAL JUSTICES SPECIAL ISSUE ON VIOLENCE, INCARCERATION, AND VOICE, SCHEDULED FOR PUBLICATION IN 2022. ADDITIONALLY, 100 FREE MINDS MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED POETRY AND PROSE TO OUR LATEST LITERARY ANTHOLOGY WHEN YOU HEAR ME (YOU HEAR US): VOICES ON YOUTH INCARCERATION LAUNCHED IN FALL 2021. THE BOOK WON THE INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD, WAS A FINALIST FOR THE FOREWORD INDIES AWARDS, AND EARNED THE JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION AS WELL AS A STARRED REVIEW FROM KIRKUS REVIEWS.