Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

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.

10/10/2026

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are sharing Nostalgic Paintings: That One Song by Free Minds member AC. ✍️🎶

"I still remember those moonlit nights all those years ago.
These nostalgic paintings
created on the canvas of my head
will always hold your voice, your warmth, your smile."

In his author's note, AC writes: "My favorite thing about the Hispanic Culture is our music." This poem was inspired by "Una Aventura" by Grupo Niche, a song that carried a memory of young love across time.

Share your thoughts in the comments below. Your words go directly to the poet. 💛

10/08/2026

Stories connect us. This week, Free Minds reconnected with friends from the Freedom Writers Foundation, and the connection runs deeper than you might think. 📖✨

Many Free Minds staff have trained at the Freedom Writers Teacher Institute, a five-day intensive workshop led by Erin Gruwell that focuses not just on teaching methods but on developing the educator as an individual, and has shaped how we show up for our members every day. Free Minds is also proud to have contributed a chapter to Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writer Teachers and Erin Gruwell, a book about the power of storytelling and what happens when educators believe in the potential of every student, no matter where they are.

Also at the table was local educator and activist Jenn, whose high school students participate in Free Minds' On the Same Page program, which uses poetry to connect incarcerated youth and adults with their communities.

The Freedom Writers Foundation believes in changing the educational system one classroom at a time. At Free Minds, we believe in changing lives one book at a time. We are proud to share that mission.

10/07/2026

The 6th Annual Free Minds Cookout at Anacostia Park this weekend was epic!

Free Minds members, staff, Board, families, friends, supporters, and yes, a few four-legged friends came together for a day unlike any other. The grill was going all day, the kickball competition was fierce, and we had our very first poetry open mic at a Free Minds cookout.

New friendships. Long-awaited reunions. Homemade treats. Great food. Great poetry. Non-stop laughter. This is what community looks like. 💛

09/29/2026

"Imagination is art. Imagination is expression. Imagination is freedom."

From Sahir's story in Free Minds Connect: Imagination ✍️

This quote is featured in the latest issue of Free Minds Connect: Imagination, a collection of poetry, essays, and stories exploring how imagination serves as a lifeline, a creative force, and a path toward freedom.

Each piece offers a glimpse into the voices and experiences that shape the Free Minds community.

📖 Read the full issue:

(opens in new tab) The Free Minds Connect is a bi-monthly magazine featuring book discussions, poetry, short essays, artwork, and profiles of Free Minds members, staff, and friends, which is…

09/28/2026

Happy fall! 🍂

"Colors once green, go orange then gold
Mother nature's beauty can never grow old."

From Autumn In My Mind by TT ✍️

This poem was written by a currently incarcerated Free Minds member who found a way to see the beauty of the changing season from inside. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Your words go directly to the poet. 💛

09/26/2026

This Wednesday, Free Minds joins the National Religious Campaign Against Torture for Healing Through Art: On the Same Page with Free Minds. 📖

This free virtual poetry workshop features:

🎤 Readings from formerly incarcerated Free Minds Poet Ambassadors
📝 Discussion of original poetry submitted by currently incarcerated Free Minds members

Show up for someone with your words. ✍️

📅 September 30
🕐 1:00 to 2:30PM ET
💻 Free on Zoom

Register here: tinyurl.com/poetryworkshopregistration