Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop
Programs
Program 1 [2020]
During 2020, Free Minds Book Club Writing Workshop Organization served 1010 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults through four programs Jail Book Club, weekly book club discussions and writing workshops with incarcerated teens and adults Prison Book Club, a long-distance, correspondence-based book club and writing workshop with adults incarcerated in jails and prisons across the United States Reentry Book Club, a reading, writing, and job readiness program that includes wraparound case management and job and school placements for formerly incarcerated youths and adults and On the Same Page, a community outreach program in which formerly incarcerated Reentry Book Club members share poetry and personal stories with the community to raise awareness about the causes and consequences of youth incarceration, and to promote hope and healing through poetry. In 2020, the Organization served 168 members in the Jail Book Club, 627 in the Prison Book Club, and 215 in the Reentry Book Club. Continued on Schedule O.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.2MFree Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop
During 2022, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop (Organization) served 1,260 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults through four programs: Jail Book Club - weekly book club discussions and writing workshops with incarcerated teens and adults; we served 172 members in the Jail Book Club, including 51 women and 27 youths, as well as a dedicated Spanish language book club. 82% of our members completed their weekly reading assignments and 88% completed the writing assignments.Prison Book Club - a long-distance, correspondence-based book club and writing workshop with adults incarcerated in jails and prisons across the United States;750 members in 110 prisons across the country received 5 issues of our magazine, the Free Minds Connect, written by and for our members, and 3,139 books personally curated for them. Members wrote 1,174 letters to the office and submitted 1,282 original poems.Reentry Book Club - a reading, writing and job readiness program that includes wraparound case management and job and school placements for formerly incarcerated youths and adults; served 338 members in the Reentry Book Club, with up to 120 members joining weekly virtual book club and writing workshop sessions and support groups. 97% of members were employed, in school, or in vocational training programs and only 9% recidivated. On the Same Page - a community education program in which formerly incarcerated Reentry Book Club members share poetry and personal experiences with diverse audiences to bring greater awareness of the systemic causes and impact of mass incarceration and to build a multi-racial movement working together on solutions and repairing harm. We conducted 162 On the Same Page sessions with schools, corporate workplaces, and with community groups, led by 40 reentry members known as Poet Ambassadors.In April 2022, Free Minds launched our organizational strategic plan with an emphasis on building racial equity through developing a leadership incubator for Free Minds members. In 2022, we employed 3 formerly incarcerated Free Minds members as full-time staff, and 3 other members part-time. Members also worked on a contract basis in the On the Same Page program and as speakers and coalition builders as part of a self-organized team called the Changemakers. Free Minds members served as the Co-Chair and Vice Chair of the Thrive Under 25 coalition, which advances the rights and needs of youth and emerging adults under the age of 25 impacted by the carceral system. Members also designed programming as part of a Planning Committee and elected Leadership Council. Free Minds award-winning publication When You Hear Me (You Hear Us), published in 2021, received new accolades in 2022, including finalist for Best Anthology by the Foreword Indies Awards and was the 2022 winner in the category of Social/Political Poetry by the Independent Press Awards.In 2022, Free Minds received a grant from the NFL Foundation as part of the leagues Inspire Change social justice award to support our Peer Support Training Program. This grant, and the coverage we received, including a televised advertisement that the NFL ran during their games, brought greater visibility to our work.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.7MProgram 1 [2024]
During 2024, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop (Organization) served 1,600 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults through four programs: Jail Book Club weekly book club discussions and writing workshops with incarcerated teens and adults; we served 434 members in the Jail Book Club, including 194 women and 42 youths, as well as a dedicated Spanish language book club. 71% of our members completed their weekly reading assignments and 73% completed the writing assignments. Prison Book Club a long-distance, correspondence-based book club and writing workshop with adults incarcerated in jails and prisons across the United States; 828 members in 110 prisons across the country received 5 issues of our magazine, the Free Minds Connect, written by and for our members, and 5,674 books personally curated for them. Members wrote 2,157 letters to the office and submitted 401 original poems. Reentry Book Club a reading, writing, and job readiness program that includes wraparound case management and job and school placements for formerly incarcerated youths and adults; served 319 members in the Reentry Book Club, with over 160 members joining weekly virtual book club and writing workshop sessions and support groups. 97% of members were employed, in school, or in vocational training programs and only 8% recidivated. On the Same Page a community education program in which formerly incarcerated Reentry Book Club members share poetry and personal experiences with diverse audiences to bring greater awareness of the systemic causes and impact of mass incarceration and to build a multi-racial movement working together on solutions and repairing harm. We conducted 115 On the Same Page sessions with schools, corporate workplaces, and with community groups, led by 67 reentry members known as Poet Ambassadors. Throughout 2024, Free Minds members continued to lift one another up, using the power of literature and community to heal and pursue their personal and professional aspirations. Free Minds launched the Leadership and Learning Program, designed by Free Minds members to provide culturally competent training in group facilitation, restorative justice, digital literacy, public speaking, Black history, and movement building. 149 members participated in its first year, gaining practical work experience in roles such as book club facilitators, peer supporters, advocates, youth mentors, and program specialists. Participants also received wraparound support from Free Minds staff to ensure they had the resources needed to thrive and advance in their careers. Free Minds impact was recognized through our selection to the prestigious Kennedy Center Culture Caucus, a dynamic cohort of DC-based cultural leaders, organized by the Social Impact department at the Kennedy Center.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2.3M
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