By Jeffrey Beamer | Communications Intern
Through storytelling, reflection, and shared creativity, Free Minds helps our Prison Book Club members build resilience and envision new paths forward. Over the past quarter, this work has been strengthened through the release of our latest issue of The Connect, thoughtful discussions around our newest Books Across the Miles selection, and powerful Write Nights that connected community members, lawmakers, and incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Free Minds members. Your continued support makes it possible for our members to feel seen, supported, and inspired to keep moving forward.
The Connect: Empathy & Compassion
The Free Minds Connect is our magazine written by and for members incarcerated across the country. The most recent issue centers on the theme of “Empathy & Compassion,” exploring the power of understanding, shared humanity, and emotional connection across separation. Through poetry, artwork, reflections, and feedback, this issue highlights the powerful ways our members are giving back, from profiles of returning citizens mentoring youth to firsthand stories of healing and transformation. This issue highlights how compassion travels through walls, uniting incarcerated members together with the broader Free Minds community. A featured poem from this issue, “Mutual Feelings,” written by Free Minds member JF, beautifully captures these ideas:
When you feel, so do I.
When you cry, so do I.
Our minds are different
but our feelings are the same.
We’ve seen the same images;
Now who’s there to blame?
They say when tragedy strikes,
it opens one’s eye.
So sad and so young,
The only question is “Why?”
“Time heals all,”
but that simply isn't true.
Hold my hand and pray
because I feel like you.
“Mutual Feelings” stands as a powerful embodiment of this issue’s theme, capturing the emotional truth that unites us all. As this issue of The Connect makes clear, empathy is not limited by walls, and compassion remains one of our most powerful tools for connection and healing. The next issue’s theme will be “Passion,” and it’s already in the mail and on its way to our members.
Books Across the Miles
Our Books Across the Miles (BAM) program, where members incarcerated in federal prison all read the same book at the same time, continues to connect members across more than 110 facilities nationwide through shared reading and reflection. Our latest selection is Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised: A Memoir of Survival and Hope by Carmelo Anthony. In his memoir, the former professional basketball player shares his journey from growing up in the Brooklyn projects to becoming a champion on the world stage. Navigating an education system that often overlooked him while also facing the untimely deaths of loved ones, Carmelo struggled to survive emotionally and physically. With the guidance of family and mentors both on the streets and on the court, he ultimately found the endurance to pursue his dreams.
Members engaged deeply with Carmelo’s reflections on fear, identity, grief, and healing. When asked about dreaming in uncertain circumstances, Free Minds member AHA shared, “You realize some things can be taken away easily in your environment, so you don’t dream that big… you just live in the moment and survive.”
Free Minds member RA related to Anthony’s writing about the stigma of mental health growing up, reflecting, “In our communities, we’re not taught to speak about certain things. We’re closed off for fear of being vulnerable… I think we should teach young men at an early age how to express themselves and still feel strong.”
Another powerful insight came from Free Minds member MH, who said, “At times you become numb toward pain and try not to think about it. As you grow, that pain emerges. In the end, you’ll have to heal from it—talk to someone and let go.”
Through these thoughtful conversations, our members connected deeply with Carmelo’s story and with one another, opening space for vulnerability, and healing. We are deeply thankful to everyone who contributed their voices and reflections to this powerful reading experience.
Fall Write Nights: Community Reflections on Incarcerated Voices
This fall, Free Minds hosted powerful Write Nights where community members and members home from prison came together to read poetry from our incarcerated writers and share written reflections on how the poems made them think, feel, and reflect. Those comments were then mailed back to the poets inside.
In October, more than 100 community members, policymakers, and Free Minds Poet Ambassadors home from prison gathered at our special Write Night in a neighborhood near the US Capitol to connect with our incarcerated writers through a mutual written exchange. The room was filled with laughter, storytelling, and hope, demonstrating the power of unity in a time of division. Curtis, who has been home just over a month after years of receiving letters and poetry feedback while incarcerated, shared how meaningful it was to finally meet the community that supported him for so long. He noted that the experience even inspired him to discover his own voice as a public speaker. This spirit of connection continued into our virtual Write Nights, where our Poet Ambassadors shared their journeys of growth, resilience, and renewed perspective. Throughout all of our Write Nights, one message stood out: words have the power to heal, connection nurtures us, and community can transform lives.
Free Minds values your continued support of our Prison Book Club programming. Because of you, our members continue to receive books, creative outlets, and life-changing connections that remind them they are not forgotten.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
