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The power of books in prison with poet Reginald Dwayne Betts

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Manage episode 454114449 series 2815386
Content provided by Rob Gabaree and Connecticut Public Radio. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Rob Gabaree and Connecticut Public Radio or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Poet Reginald Dwayne Betts was part of a carjacking in a Virginia mall parking lot when he was 16 years old. He was charged as an adult and sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Dwayne was released in 2005. Today, he’s a lawyer and award-winning poet. He’s also the founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization called Freedom Reads. It provides handcrafted bookcases full of brand new books to prisons.

For Dwayne, and other incarcerated people, those books can be a lifeline— a connection to the rest of the world.

This hour, we have a candid conversation with Dwayne as he reflects on his poetry, the power of books, and life after prison.

We also take a visit to the Freedom Reads workshop and hear from some of the formerly incarcerated people who build the bookcases and bring them to prisons. You can see photos of the Freedom Reads workshop on our website.

GUEST:

  • Reginald Dwayne Betts: Award-winning poet, whose books include Felon and the upcoming Doggerel. He's also a lawyer and the Founder and CEO of Freedom Reads

  • Michael Byrd: Library Production Assistant at Freedom Reads

  • Steven Parkhurst: Communications Manager at Freedom Reads

  • James Flynn: Library Production Assistant at Freedom Reads

Special thanks to Kevin Baker and Ivan Dominguez at Freedom Reads.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  continue reading

243 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 454114449 series 2815386
Content provided by Rob Gabaree and Connecticut Public Radio. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Rob Gabaree and Connecticut Public Radio or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Poet Reginald Dwayne Betts was part of a carjacking in a Virginia mall parking lot when he was 16 years old. He was charged as an adult and sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Dwayne was released in 2005. Today, he’s a lawyer and award-winning poet. He’s also the founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization called Freedom Reads. It provides handcrafted bookcases full of brand new books to prisons.

For Dwayne, and other incarcerated people, those books can be a lifeline— a connection to the rest of the world.

This hour, we have a candid conversation with Dwayne as he reflects on his poetry, the power of books, and life after prison.

We also take a visit to the Freedom Reads workshop and hear from some of the formerly incarcerated people who build the bookcases and bring them to prisons. You can see photos of the Freedom Reads workshop on our website.

GUEST:

  • Reginald Dwayne Betts: Award-winning poet, whose books include Felon and the upcoming Doggerel. He's also a lawyer and the Founder and CEO of Freedom Reads

  • Michael Byrd: Library Production Assistant at Freedom Reads

  • Steven Parkhurst: Communications Manager at Freedom Reads

  • James Flynn: Library Production Assistant at Freedom Reads

Special thanks to Kevin Baker and Ivan Dominguez at Freedom Reads.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  continue reading

243 episodes

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