In 2012, Free Minds was honored to host several guest authors at the DC Jail! Many of the 16- and 17-year-old members of the Book Club have never read a book before coming to the jail. It is incredibly powerful not only to be able to connect with a book for the first time, but to meet the author as well! We are grateful to the authors who demonstrate their dedication and generosity of spirit by joining us for one of our weekly Book Club meetings.
Volunteer Write Night Continues to Thrive
January 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
In 2011, Free Minds began a series of Volunteer Write Nights in which members of the Washington community come together for an evening of poetry, food, and friends. In the months since the first Write Night, the event has grown exponentially, reaching new people across the metro area.
Poetry as a Tool for Violence Prevention & Healing: Free Minds’ New Community Project “On the Same Page”
May 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Free Minds has launched a new community initiative which uses our literary journal They Call Me 299-359 as a tool for education, reflection, and healing. “On the Same Page: Free Minds Poetry in the Community and the Classroom” is led by Free Minds senior members now home after serving their sentences, and uses a format of shared reading and discussion to prevent youth violence and incarceration.
Free Minds Poems Win Prestigious Awards
April 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
In a Free Minds first, we are proud to announce that five Book Club members have been named winners of The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers 2012 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards.
Literary Journal Released!
November 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Free Minds is thrilled to announce the release of “They Call Me 299-359: Writings by the Incarcerated Youth of Free Minds Book Club &Writing Workshop,” an anthology of essays and poems written, edited and compiled by incarcerated youth from Washington DC.
