Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

10/28/2026

Your words travel farther than you think.

Free Minds member Terrell came home and discovered that real people from real communities had been reading his poems and relating to them.

“Once I got home and seeing that these were real people coming out from the communities, reading our poems, being able to relate to a word or a line, that made me feel good on both ends.”

During Write Week, you read poems written by incarcerated Free Minds members and leave thoughtful reflections that are returned directly to the writers. No live video, no set schedule. Your words find someone who needs them.

🗓️ Write Week: October 28 to November 4
🔗 RSVP here: https://freemindsbookclub.org/event/virtual-write-week-oct28-nov4/

10/27/2026

What does it mean to write your truth? 📚

Last month, Free Minds’ Mentes Libres program, our Spanish-language book club at the jail, welcomed author Jared Lemus to our book club.

Jared, whose debut short story collection "Guatemalan Rhapsody" is out now from Ecco Press, talked openly about the road to becoming a writer: the poverty, the family struggles, and the deep love for Guatemala that drives every page he writes.

One line from Jared that the group won’t forget: “I don’t write thinking about the reader. I think about the writing.”

For our members, this wasn’t just a conversation about books. It was a reminder that the stories closest to home are worth telling, and that writing them is an act of courage.

Thank you to author Jared Lemus for giving our members the opportunity to meet a writer in their language, and to the Department of Corrections team for making this visit possible.

10/25/2026

Free Minds is featured in the NFL’s 2026 Inspire Change Impact Report. 🏈

The report highlights the work of 26 national grant partners advancing criminal justice reform, education, and economic opportunity. Our story shows what is possible when people impacted by the criminal legal system are given the tools, community, and support to lead.

Read the report and flip to page 6 to learn about the Free Minds member whose story is at the center of it: https://www.nfl.com/causes/inspire-change/

Thank you to NFL Inspire Change for recognizing the power of inspiring change through books, writing, and community — and you are part of it.

Inspire Change – the NFL Social Justice Initiative showcases how the NFL family are committed to actions that move us towards an equal & just tomorrow.

10/25/2026

Free Minds is featured in the ’s 2026 Inspire Change Impact Report. 🏈

The report highlights the work of 26 national grant partners advancing criminal justice reform, education, and economic opportunity. Our story shows what is possible when people impacted by the criminal legal system are given the tools, community, and support to lead.

Read the report and flip to page 6 to learn about the Free Minds member whose story is at the center of it. Link in bio.

Thank you to NFL Inspire Change for recognizing the power of inspiring change through books, writing, and community — and you are part of it.

10/23/2026

Prison Banned Books Week ends this Sunday and there is still time to make an impact. There are still titles on our wish list waiting to be claimed. Every book you purchase through Politics and Prose Bookstore will be delivered directly to an incarcerated Free Minds member who requested it.

These are not just any books. They are the titles our members chose, the ones they are waiting for.

📚 Browse the wish list and claim a title before Sunday:
https://politics-prose.com/wishlist/craslimabrupo?availability=available

10/22/2026

Every poem is an invitation to connect. This one is yours. ✍️

Free Minds is hosting Write Week, a full week of virtual poetry starting October 28th. During Write Week, you will read poems written by incarcerated Free Minds members and leave thoughtful reflections that are returned directly to the writers. There is no live video component, and you can participate at a time that works best for you.

As Free Minds member James reminds us, people want to know they have a voice, even when they are quiet. Your reflection is proof that someone is listening.

🗓️ Write Week: October 28 to November 4
🔗 RSVP here: https://freemindsbookclub.org/event/virtual-write-week-oct28-nov4/

10/20/2026

For Free Minds member Dennis, books are “tools to create my own future.” 📖

Yet access to books is something people in prison cannot take for granted. Restrictions can determine which titles they can receive, who can send them, and where they can be purchased.

Prison Banned Books Week runs October 19-25. This week, you can help a Free Minds member get a book they’ve asked for.

Every title on our Politics and Prose Bookstore wish list was requested by a current member. A fantasy novel. A book on personal finance. An account of the Navajo Code Talkers. Each one starts with someone’s curiosity and the simple wish to read something that interests them.

Buy a book and it goes directly to the member who requested it. A matching donation supports Free Minds’ broader work too.

📚 Shop the wish list: https://politics-prose.com/wishlist/craslimabrupo?availability=available

These books are for members of Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, a nonprofit that serves incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults. Free Minds runs programming in the DC Jail, juvenile detention center, federal prison system, and in the community.

10/15/2026

To honor the final day of Hispanic Heritage Month, we share this poem in memory of LV, a beloved Free Minds member whose words continue to inspire us. ✍️

"Una amistad como la que tú me ofreces
Es difícil de encontrar."

"A friendship like the one you offer me
Is difficult to find."

This bilingual poem was written in Spanish — a love letter to friendship, trust, and connection across any wall. 💛

10/13/2026

Free Minds is profoundly saddened to learn of Talib Shakir's tragic passing over the weekend. 💙

Talib was a great friend and partner to Free Minds, an incredible inspiration to all our members as Director of MORCA (Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs), and a personal friend to many Free Minds members and the entire D.C. reentry community.

Talib was always sharing opportunities and resources. Right after becoming MORCA Director, he came to our Welcome Home Reentry Orientation to pledge his office's and his own personal support to Free Minds members coming home from incarceration (pictured here reuniting with a Free Minds member who was an old friend).

Talib was passionate about giving back to the community and creating a city where everyone could feel safe and cared for. We will continue Talib's legacy of authentic, heart-centered care for all. Thank you to Tony Lewis Jr. and the Washington Informer for this tribute to Talib’s legacy: https://www.washingtoninformer.com/talib-shakir-orca-legacy/

10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day. At Free Minds, we know that mental health does not stop at the prison door. Books, writing, and community are tools for healing, and our members use them every day.

Free Minds Poet Ambassador Keonte was recently featured in a New Republic cover story on the youth mental health crisis in America. In his poem "Redemption," he writes:

"I found life in my death and I keep growing
Patience is a virtue I keep showing
My hope is my love for the people so potent
you gotta get with it"

Read Keonte's full story in the The New Republic: https://newrepublic.com/article/214981/dire-national-crisis-washington-wont-touch

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988. 💚

Adolescents and young adults across the country are collapsing under the weight of isolation and pressure to succeed. There’s no easy fix—but it’s past time for Washington to do something.