The Miraculous Transformation Wrought by Books in Prisons

#967A: Tracie shares her awe and admiration for Dwayne Betts, who, as a result of being incarcerated as a teenager, discovered the power of reading in prison. He came out to become a lawyer and a published poet, founding Freedom Reads in 2020. The nonprofit has put custom made wooden libraries into over 560 prisons nationwide, transforming the lives of many prisoners. His pandemic puppy Taylor, a little Jack Russell Terrier, became Dwayne’s bridge to connect with people in his community with dogs being their common ground. Tune in to hear what Tracie discovers when she boldly proclaims her belief that Dwayne should win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. NOTE: Donations to Freedom Reads help finance his ongoing libraries, and purchases of his book of poetry Doggerel allow his publisher WW Norton to send the paperback edition to the libraries.