Skip to content

Write Week 6/25-7/2: RSVP Today →

Free Minds Book Club Logo
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Join Our Email List
    • Bring Free Minds to Your Group
    • On the Same Page: Write Night
    • Intern or Volunteer With Us
    • Give Poetry Feedback
    • Work With Us
  • DONATE
    • Donate Online
    • Other Ways to Donate
    • Employer Matching Gifts
    • Donate Books
    • New! Merch Store
  • About Us
    • Mission & Vision
    • Who We Are
    • In The Press
    • Supporters
    • National Projects
    • Resources For Educators
    • Resources For Incarcerated People
    • New! Merch Store
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Book Clubs and Writing Workshops
    • Reentry Services
    • On the Same Page
    • Books by Free Minds
    • Connect Magazine
    • Congressman John Lewis Fellowship
    • Thrive Under 25
    • Success Stories
  • News & Events
  • Poems
  • Contact Us
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Join Our Email List
    • Bring Free Minds to Your Group
    • On the Same Page: Write Night
    • Intern or Volunteer With Us
    • Give Poetry Feedback
    • Work With Us
  • DONATE
    • Donate Online
    • Other Ways to Donate
    • Employer Matching Gifts
    • Donate Books
    • New! Merch Store
  • About Us
    • Mission & Vision
    • Who We Are
    • In The Press
    • Supporters
    • National Projects
    • Resources For Educators
    • Resources For Incarcerated People
    • New! Merch Store
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Book Clubs and Writing Workshops
    • Reentry Services
    • On the Same Page
    • Books by Free Minds
    • Connect Magazine
    • Congressman John Lewis Fellowship
    • Thrive Under 25
    • Success Stories
  • News & Events
  • Poems
  • Contact Us

WE CAN BE THE CHANGE: Working to End Violence in Our City

News & Events

WE CAN BE THE CHANGE: Working to End Violence in Our City

By Free Minds Book Club | January 28, 2016 | 0
Robert and Marcus

This event is sold out. Join our mailing list to learn about other events in the future.

Read More

Free Minds Wins Library of Congress Best Practices Award

By Free Minds Book Club | November 11, 2015 | 0

On October 27th, Executive Director Tara Libert accepted the “Best Practices in Literacy” Award from the Library of Congress, and joined other honored literacy organizations from around the world at…

Read More

Free Minds Launches “The Untold Story of the Real Me” with Poetry, Music, and Tears

By Free Minds Book Club | November 4, 2015 | 0
Andre

“Free Minds, just with books, poetry, and expressing myself, they saved my life. Not from harm or death, but from giving up.” – Andre

Read More

Poetry from Prison: #10000JournalsForHope

By Free Minds Book Club | September 28, 2015 | 1

Watch this video by Sojourners Magazine about Free Minds member Rafael whose poem “Peace” is in our literary journal, The Untold Story of the Real Me: Young Voices from Prison. 

Read More

Share the Untold Story of Incarcerated Youth

By Free Minds Book Club | September 14, 2015 | 0

Our Oct. 17th launch party sold out, but you can still help us share the voices of incarcerated youth, and hear some of those voices in person yourselves!

Read More
« Newer Posts
Older Posts »

About the Poetry Blog

The poets featured on this page are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem, and it will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.

Archives

Tags

Change children confinement death Dreams emotions faith family fatherhood Fear freedom free minds Frustration future goals growing up Growth history Hope identity incarceration jail learning Lessons life loneliness Loss Love mass incarceration nature Pain peace poem Poetry prison racism Regret self society Strength struggle time violence writing Youth

Upcoming Events

On the Same Page: Write Night

January 27, 2021, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Read and respond to poetry by incarcerated writers! Registration is required; click here to RSVP.

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

Free Minds uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults to their own potential. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for change in the community.

Winner of the 2015 Aspen Ideas Award from the Aspen Institute, the Justice Potter Stewart Award from the Council for Court Excellence, and the Library of Congress Best Practices in Literacy Award.

United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) #9633
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 75998

Connect With Us

1816 12th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 758-0829
mail@freemindsbookclub.org

Facebook Instagram You Tube Twitter Good Reads

Support Us

DONATE

United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) #9633
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 75998

United Way Logo
Global Giving Logo
A circular seal with a periwinkle blue background and a white border. In the center of the seal, the number 23 designates the year of this new class partnership as 2023. Curved text around this number denotes our organization as a Spur Local partner and Critical Nonprofit.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST

Sign up to stay up-to-date on our work and opportunities to get involved!

© 2025 Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy  | Terms of Service

Non-profit websites by Design TLC