Support for DC's Previously Incarcerated Youth

As we reflect on 2020 and prepare for the new year, our Free Minds family is feeling extra grateful. In the face of unparalleled obstacles, our formerly incarcerated members have risen to the challenge, becoming leaders and advocates for both the community and for each other. We continue to come together through our remote programming and have offered new ways for members to get involved. Members learned about wellbeing and mentorship through our new peer support training program led by a trauma-informed trainer. Through our pilot Black History Learning Group, members expanded their knowledge and put this into practice by engaging in dialogue and organizing around social injustices. 

Thanks to DC’s Restore the Vote Act, passed this summer, incarcerated DC residents are now eligible to vote. Our Reentry Book Club members worked hard to spread the word and get out the vote. They led by example by participating in the election themselves. For many, it was their first time ever voting. We are awed at the resiliency of our members. We joined together to celebrate them with a “drive by and say hi” event to catch up social-distance style. 

Our reentry members are trailblazers, using their lived experiences to build a stronger and better future for our community. Thank you for making this possible and preparing us to enter 2021 stronger than ever!

Camaraderie Through Peer Support Training

When the pandemic first hit, our member-led COVID-19 Response Team jumped into action to support their fellow members. Wanting to do more, the team recently began participating in a weekly peer support training program to enhance their skills on responding to the emotional wellbeing of members. These training sessions are led by Free Minds friend and Credible Messenger trainer Che, who uses his experience from working in a hospital-based violence intervention program. 

Free Minds member Craig has been providing extra support check-ins for his fellow reentry members since March and is excited to use the new knowledge he is learning from these training sessions with members. He recently shared with us, “I'm learning a lot from Che and he's helping me bring out things in myself. The whole group is helping each of us to bring out our best in each other. I appreciate Free Minds for having this training."

Advocacy and Leadership With Our Black History Learning Group

Inspired by a summer of protests following the murder of George Floyd, our members expressed a desire to learn more about Black history and how it connects to today’s worldwide movement for social justice. The result was our Black History Learning Group, a small cohort of members who meet weekly in a virtual space to discuss a range of topics on African American history. So far, members have discussed voter suppression, redlining and the racial wealth gap, the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, reparations, and racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Members engage in thoughtful conversations and use their new knowledge to become activists in the community. Congressman John Lewis Fellow Jameon says this group is a space for members to “build intellectually” and, “always very informative and impactful”

Members Take to the Polls for the First Time

Free Minds members were among those who contributed to the record-breaking turnout for this year’s presidential election! Not only did they exercise their right to vote, but they also advocated for voting rights for all incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens. Shannon, our new Advocacy & Leadership Development Specialist, who is formerly incarcerated himself, led efforts to educate our members on their voting rights by creating a video about voting, distributing voter guides to reentry members, and driving members to the polls. Shannon was just one of many members who were able to vote for the first time this year!

Reentry Members Drive By and Say Hi

In September, we hosted a successful “drop by and say hi” socially-distanced event. Reentry members stopped by to pick up COVID-19 Care Packages containing food items, personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies. They also picked up some books off our bookshelf and enjoyed some burgers and hot dogs to go. Both members and staff were excited to be able to connect in-person after months of only seeing each other virtually!

Thank you for making all of this possible. As we reflect on this year, we are grateful that we can find so much to celebrate. We look forward to beginning the new year together!

Links:

• Free Minds members talk voting with the Renewal Project
• Free Minds featured in CNN
• Follow us on Twitter

The Free Minds family has risen to the challenge of this unprecedented time in an extraordinary way. Our members continue to adapt and persevere, transforming challenges into new opportunities. Our weekly “Build Up” book club over Zoom plays a key role as a place for sharing, understanding, and peer support for members returning home from incarceration. Our member-led Leadership Council has gone above and beyond in taking care of the physical and emotional wellbeing of members, while the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) support group provides guidance to members navigating being home for the first time in decades. IRAA is a DC law that allows people who have been in adult prison since they were 16 or 17 for over 15 years to apply for resentencing. Our team of Reentry Coaches are zealous in their pursuit of job openings and pushing for unemployment benefits delayed by months due to a massive backlog of requests. Thank you for supporting us throughout these challenging times!

The Build Up as a Space for Connecting and Growing

Free Minds has not let the pandemic stop its reentry book club, “The Build Up,” which has now gone virtual! This group allows members to express themselves through reading and writing, and, critically, creates a positive support system for members who may be struggling with reentry after incarceration. Although many members experience difficulties with limited internet access, that has not stopped them--in fact, more members are joining than ever, with about 60 participants weekly!

The Leadership Council Expands Their Focus

Jumping into immediate action, our member-led reentry Leadership Council formed an Emergency Response Team at the start of the pandemic to make sure our members stayed connected. The council calls and texts members daily to check on their wellbeing, making sure their immediate needs are met. During this difficult time, the Leadership Council has gone above and beyond, and has started reaching out to their peers who are still incarcerated by sharing words of encouragement and positive updates in letters and interactive worksheets every week.

“I ain't been home in over 20 years. I don't have family keeping me abreast to what's going on out there. God has blessed me with having an organization like Free Minds Book Club, to be a part of and help me through these tough times." - Free Minds member Shawndell, after receiving messages of support from the Leadership Council

We are inspired by the courage and compassion of the Leadership Council, who rose to action following the death of George Floyd. Realizing the need for more spaces for healing, education and dialogue, the Leadership Council created an African American history study group, which held its first meeting in August.

The IRAA Support Group Fosters Community

When the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) passed in 2016, it allowed incarcerated individuals a chance at sentence reduction if they had been convicted as an adult when they were under 18, and served at least 15 years. With a growing number of IRAA reentry members, we formed our IRAA support group that now meets bi-monthly over Zoom. This group provides critical support for many members who have not been home in decades and are returning to communities with limited resources and opportunities. The men in this group have overcome these challenges, lifting each other up and creating a community to discuss their pasts, support each other in finding work, discuss their mental health, and share community resources. This group hasn’t stopped there, either, but they are also actively giving back. Members have developed a letter-writing campaign, sent care packages to IRAA-eligible incarcerated members, and have created videos of support to show judges during hearings. The amazing work of this group was also recently featured in The Washington Post!

Back At It: Write Night and Outreach Events Go Virtual

We are also hosting monthly Virtual Write Nights, where volunteers provide encouraging comments on poetry from incarcerated members. In June, we hosted our first “live” edition of Virtual Write Night, with over 200 participants. We heard from special guest speaker Marcus Bullock, whose company Flikshop uses postcards to connect incarcerated individuals with their loved ones. Marcus was joined by Poet Ambassador Tariq, recently home after serving over 20 years, and both gave heartfelt speeches on the importance of community and connectedness.

After brainstorming ideas for moving forward virtually, we have begun hosting community outreach events again! Our Poet Ambassadors, formerly incarcerated members raise awareness of mass incarceration and racial injustice through sharing their lived experiences and their poetry. We witnessed a powerful moment at a recent event, when Poet Ambassador Gordon lifted a stack of his poems with volunteer comments that he had kept and brought home with him, showing the lasting impact that positive feedback has on our members!

Your continued support is invaluable in helping our members feel part of a community that can build them up and help them move forward. Thank you for making this possible!

Links:

• Poet Ambassador Shannon in the Washington Post
• The IRAA support group in the Washington Post
• Free Minds members honor Congressman Lewis's legacy