“Because of books, I have a totally different understanding of my life and the world around me.”

Antwan’s love of books didn’t stop once he left the juvenile block. He remembers how, in lockdown for 11 months in federal prison, books helped him stay calm and focused.

Michael is in love with learning and knowledge, yet he never attended a high school prom, studied for final exams, or had to learn a locker combination.

Delonte was just 16 years old in 2004 when he was arrested and charged as an adult for robbery. Before his incarceration, Delonte had stopped attending high school on a…

“Fifty years from now, I will always remember that Free Minds were the ones there for me when people that were supposed to have cared about me weren’t there.”