Support for DC's Previously Incarcerated Youth

Free Minds members have been growing, learning, and building community across all our reentry programs this season. From creating action plans during Reentry Orientations, to completing our Job Readiness Apprenticeship, to engaging in healing conversations through our “Build Up” Reentry Book Club, Free Minds members are actively preparing for the next chapter of their lives. Members are also working to obtain their driver’s licenses to expand access to transportation, employment and independence. Through Peer Support and our Black History Learning Group, they learn, uplift and encourage one another along the way. Together, these experiences in community help members acquire new skills, generate opportunities, and grow in confidence as they move forward in their reentry journeys.

Starting Strong: Reentry Orientation

Since November, we’ve held six Reentry Orientation sessions, giving 37 members a warm welcome home and an introduction to our reentry program, which continues the strong connection we formed with members while they were incarcerated. During each session, members share their short and longterm goals, meet our Reentry Team, and hear from Free Minds’ Peer Supporters who discuss reallife advice about navigating reentry. Members share one word they think of when they think of Free Minds, with some examples including, “togetherness” and “forward.” Most importantly, members get to see all the letters and poems they have sent that Free Minds kept in our office, often sometimes for decades! It’s a beautiful moment showcasing the power of reading and writing to forge trusted bonds. Members also receive tech help, get a full tour of the Free Minds office, and leave with a clear list of services and supports available to them. Each orientation creates a welcoming space to ask questions, build confidence, and take the first steps toward a strong reentry journey.

Recognizing the Success of Our Apprenticeship Cohort

In February, 11 Free Minds members completed our JobReadinessand Personal SkillBuilding Apprenticeship designed to strengthen both confidence and practical reentry skills. Throughout their time, members practiced creative writing and personal reflection, while also learning interview dos and don’ts, mock interviewing, how to access library resources, and how to use their new library cards. They engaged in group discussions, socialemotional learning, coping strategies for reentry anxiety, and teambuilding activities that helped them build trust and community. 

The cohort also received foundational financial literacy training, including budgeting and credit basics, alongside collaboration and goalsetting workshops. On the final day, apprentices crafted vision boards to envision new futures for themselves—with plans to turn those visions into reality! Free Minds will hold the next apprenticeship in April, expanding opportunities for members to continue developing workplace skills, confidence, and community support.

Reading, Healing, and Growing Through Gucci Mane’s Memoir

Free Minds members in our Reentry Book Club have been deeply engaged in reading Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man by Gucci Mane, a memoir where the artist reflects on his struggles with mental health, addiction, identity, and the chaotic moments that shaped his public image. Across sessions, members connected strongly with his honesty about trauma, negative selftalk, and the pressure to perform for others even when feeling empty inside. Many saw their own experiences reflected in his stories, breaking harmful patterns, learning accountability, navigating reentry, and confronting the expectations placed on them by the streets, prison, and society. Adults and young adults alike shared powerful insights about growth, selfawareness, and the ways unresolved pain can lead to destructive choices. 

Through discussions about rebellion, image, and healing, members emphasized themes of patience, responsibility, and the importance of surrounding themselves with people who challenge them to be better. The book opened space for honest conversations about identity, mental health, and transformation, mirroring the very journey Gucci describes.

Learning Black History, Together

Our onceamonth Black History Learning Group is a space to learn, reflect, and connect Black history to the present. Each session opens with an important moment in Black history,  like November 4, 2008, when Barack Obama was elected the first African American President. We study works such as The 1619 Project, Nikole HannahJones’s audio series, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds to understand how racist ideas were built and how we can choose antiracism today.

Driving to Success Program 

Reentry Coaches Tony and Jennifer led handson Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Prep sessions where members received practical tips and supportive feedback on how to approach both the permit test and the full driver’s exam. They broke down key topics, walked through common test questions, and shared strategies to stay calm and confident on test day. The sessions gave members a lowpressure space to practice, ask questions, and take an important step toward independence and mobility. Following the prep sessions, coaches traveled to the Department of Motor Vehicles with members as a group, offering each other encouragement and congratulations as they took their tests.Access to reliable transportation significantly expands employment opportunities, particularly for worksites that are not accessible through public transit. 

Building Community Through Peer Support

15 Free Minds members are currently participating in our Peer Support Program, attending twelve sessions over the course of three months to strengthen their socialemotional skills and learn how to support fellow members. Each session creates space for honest conversation, active listening, empathy, and accountability, helping participants build the tools they need to guide others through the challenges of reentry. Members practice conflictresolution, emotional awareness, and peer mentoring, growing their confidence as leaders in the community. As the program continues, participants are developing a shared commitment to showing up for one another with compassion, patience, and understanding.

Member Spotlight: Marcellus

Marcellus has been showing up with consistency and purpose across Free Minds programs this season. He first joined the reentry program in September 2025 and since then has been a regular at the Build Up (our weekly reentry book club), as well as Free Write, monthly writing workshop sessions, always contributing thoughtful reflections and supporting the group. He graduated from our Job Readiness Apprenticeship in October 2025, and networked with employers at a job fair alongside Reentry coaches Tony and Jennifer. Marcellus soon started working concessions at DC’s baseball stadium, and recently earned a promotion and is now a cook! His steady presence, humility, and commitment to growth make him a valued member of the Free Minds community.