From Solitary Cell to Spreading Freedom Through Books

Quick Smiles:

• A book sent to a 17-year-old in solitary sparked a remarkable transformation.
• Reginald Betts now leads Freedom Reads, bringing libraries to prisons nationwide.
• Over 550 libraries with 275,000 books have been installed since 2020, inspiring countless inmates.

At just 17, Reginald Betts experienced the loneliness of solitary confinement until a poetry book delivered on a makeshift pulley system arrived and offered new hope. The gift of Dudley Randall’s collection, “The Black Poets,” became a turning point, inspiring Betts to embrace reading and writing as a path toward change.

“Imagine yourself as a teenager, 17 years old, in solitary confinement, and you’re just calling out, ‘Yo, somebody send me a book,’” Betts shared, reflecting on the small act that shaped his future.

After his release, Betts devoted himself to education, earning a bachelor’s degree and later a law degree from Yale. He began writing poetry and advocating for reform, founding Freedom Reads to give others in prison the same chance for growth he once received.

The organization’s website notes, “Prisons are the loneliest places on Earth. This is a fact that our Founder and CEO, Reginald Dwayne Betts, knows all too well.”

Freedom Reads has filled prisons across the country with libraries and books, creating welcoming spaces for readers. Inmate Chief Bear from Maine described, “It was a great surprise upon returning from work for the day and seeing all of those books and new shelves that they were on.”

“It was kind of like seeing children on Christmas morning after all the presents were opened. The saying of freedom begins with a book is spot on.”

The nonprofit is sustained by generous support from donors and major foundations, allowing the recent installation of 35 new libraries in Missouri’s prison facilities. Each one fosters community with about 500 thoughtfully selected books.

As more incarcerated individuals discover the joy of reading, the message is clear: hope and transformation can be found within every page. Share this story to keep the power of books moving forward!

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