Inside Literary Prize 2026 Shortlist Announced - Center for Justice Innovation Hundreds of incarcerated judges will select winner of the nation's first major book prize decided exclusively by people in prison.

🎉 Announcing the Inside Literary Prize 2026 Shortlist! 🎉

Congratulations to the incredible authors shortlisted for the third annual #InsideLiteraryPrize, the first-ever US literary prize awarded exclusively by currently incarcerated people.

Learn more about the Prize today. ⤵️

“Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ was awarded the second annual Inside Literary Prize, the first-ever U.S.-based literary award to be judged by currently incarcerated people.”

Read more: jlusa.org/2025/08/01...

#ChainGangAllStars #InsideLiteraryPrize @freedomreads.bsky.social‬

Watch this opening from the Inside Literary Prize ceremony, where @dwaynebetts reflects on the power of books—and the readers behind bars who chose Chain-Gang All-Stars by @king_nk as this year’s winner.

Full video at the link: youtu.be/ouzt3USAbjk
#insideliteraryprize

Still reflecting on last week’s historic moment — @king_nk won the 2nd Inside Literary Prize. His speech moved us all.

Listen to his Freedom Takes episode — brilliant, necessary, and keeps the convo going.

open.spotify.com/episode/5vSD...

#FreedomReads #InsideLiteraryPrize

Inside prison walls, here's how a book program is changing lives Accessing reading material in prisons is hard, but Freedom Reads co-founder Reginald Betts, a former inmate, went beyond books, creating libraries made by former prisoners.

"prison-based #reading, job training & education reduce recidivism by 14.8% and increase likelihood of employment by 6.9%"

Inside #prison walls, here's how a #book program is changing lives www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/...

#500books #design #bilingual #InsideLiteraryPrize

2025 Inside Literary Prize Awarded to Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah - Center for Justice Innovation

“There is no question that this is the highest possible honor a book like this could ever receive,” said Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, winner of the 2025 #InsideLiteraryPrize for his book Chain-Gang All-Stars.

www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/2025...

Season 2 of The Freedom Takes continues!
@dwaynebetts & Steven Parkhurst talk with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah about Chain-Gang All-Stars & the power of forgiveness. Nana is a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow & 2023 NBA finalist.

🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/5vSD...

#InsideLiteraryPrize #podcast

Congratulating Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah for winning the Inside Literary Prize 2025!

#freedomreads #insideliteraryprize

As #InsideLiteraryPrize judge Joey R. Strizich from Cheshire Correctional Institute in Connecticut put it, “Despite facing systemic challenges, the characters found strength in community and solidarity. "Chain-Gang All-Stars" is a MUST READ!”

Inside Literary Prize - Center for Justice Innovation

300 judges. 12 prisons. 24 live discussions. 1 winner.

Find out the winner of the second annual #InsideLiteraryPrize tonight: www.innovatingjustice.org/inside-liter...

Welcome to Season 2 of The Freedom Takes! 🎙️

In this episode, @dwaynebetts and Allie Salazar Gonzalez talk with Paul Harding about This Other Eden—a 2023 Booker Prize finalist.

Listen now: open.spotify.com/episode/74FL...
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#FreedomReads #InsideLiteraryPrize

Season 2 of The Freedom Takes is here! @dwaynebetts & David Perez sit down with Justin Torres, author of Blackouts, winner of the 2023 National Book Award to talk rehumanization, storytelling & survival.

Listen now @ open.spotify.com/episode/2w2c...

#FreedomReads #InsideLiteraryPrize

This week, Freedom Reads brought the #InsideLiteraryPrize to Cheshire & York CIs in CT. Incarcerated readers are judging Chain-Gang All-Stars, This Other Eden, On a Woman’s Madness, & Blackouts—proving literature belongs to everyone.

#FreedomReads #Connecticut #insideliteraryprize #2025

Screenshot of a press release titled "Freedom Reads Brings Inside Literary Prize to Puerto Rican Prisons." It announces that the national non-profit Freedom Reads facilitated book discussions, voting, and author events for the Inside Literary Prize at three prisons in Puerto Rico: Instituto de Bellas Artes, Instituto 501, and Complejo de Rehabilitación para las Mujeres. The release is dated June 5, 2025, from Hamden, Connecticut.

Screenshot of quote from press release titled "Freedom Reads Brings Inside Literary Prize to Puerto Rican Prisons." It shares the gratitude of Carlos J. Delgado Cornier, Program Manager at the Puerto Rico Department of Correction and Rehabilitation to Freedom Reads. The release is dated June 5, 2025, from Hamden, Connecticut.

Last week, Freedom Reads brought the #InsideLiteraryPrize to 3 prisons in Puerto Rico, where incarcerated readers judged 4 powerful books. Their votes help decide the 2025 winner, announced in July. 📚

478 Freedom Libraries. 12 states & territories.

#freedomreads #puertorico

Dozens Of 'Freedom Libraries' Built At 2 State Prisons In New Jersey The libraries include poetry, novels and essays, alongside classic works such as Homer's "The Odyssey" and Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man."

ICYMI: Freedom Reads opened 37 Freedom Libraries & brought #InsideLiteraryPrize (ILP) 2025 to 2 NJ prisons this May 📚

“Each book had so many layers of symbolism and messages,” ILP judge Tina at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility wrote to Freedom Reads.

Read more in Patch ⬇️ patch.com/new-jersey/n...

May 2025 Newsletter | Freedom Reads Freedom Reads: Turning a Dream into Reality

Freedom Reads' May Newsletter dropped today! 📧

Freedom Reads Founder & CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts reflects on Freedom Library openings and his poetry reading inside Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey.

Plus, get updates on #InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 📚 freedomreads.org/news/newslet...

Freedom Reads Brings Inside Literary Prize to California Prisons | Freedom Reads National non-profit Freedom Reads facilitates Inside Literary Prize book discussions, voting, and author events at California Institution for Men and Central California Women’s Facility

This week, the Freedom Reads team brought the #InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 to California Institution for Men and Central California Women's Facility 📚

Learn more ⬇️ freedomreads.org/news/press-r...

Group photo with almost twenty men wearing khaki prison uniforms and the freedom reads team in black and gray t-shirts.

Women wearing khaki prison uniforms sit in a circle with Freedom Reads team discussing books

Dwayne wearing a yellow shirt and black jacket standing at the front of a room giving a poetry reading from his book doggerel

Men wearing khaki prison uniforms sit in a circle with the Freedom Reads team and Caits Meissner, laughing while discussing books

The Freedom Reads team also brought the #InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 to both NJ prisons 📚

As part of the week's events, Freedom Reads Founder Reginald Dwayne Betts gave a poetry reading from "Doggerel" at Edna Mahan, & Caits Meissner, editor of "The Sentences That Create Us," spoke at Northern State.

A literary prize is awarded by prison inmates. This Arizona woman was on the judging committee The Freedom Reads literary competition announced the shortlist for their 2025 prize. It’s the second year of the competition, which claims to be the first of its kind to be judged exclusively by incar...

"...we got to actually judge something other than being judged..."

2024 #InsideLiteraryPrize Judge Alex Capilla at Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville spoke with @kjzz.org's @samdingman.bsky.social about serving as a judge for last year's inaugural Prize 🎧 www.kjzz.org/the-show/202...

A man wearing a khaki prison uniform sits and listens attentively to a poetry reading.

Freedom Reads communications manager Steven, wearing a black t-shirt that says freedom begins with a book, smiles and talks to a man wearing a khaki prison uniform.

Earlier this month, the Freedom Reads team brought the #InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 to Cybulski and Carl Robinson Correctional Institutions in Connecticut 📚

📸 Tyler Russell/@ctpublic.bsky.social

@nationalbook.bsky.social @innovatingjustice.bsky.social

Incarcerated people in CT to judge nationwide book competition The literary competition, now in its second year, is partly a creation of Freedom Reads, an organization which helps supply libraries inside correctional facilities across the country.

“That book, I think I can relate to in a certain way, because of what she was going through as what my mother went through..."

#InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 judge Johnnie at Cybulski Correctional shares his favorite book from the shortlist with @ctpublic.bsky.social 🎧 www.ctpublic.org/news/2025-05...

Inside Literary Prize judges wearing blue prison uniforms sit in a circle of school desks discussing books.

Four Inside Literary Prize books stacked on a desk brimming with handwritten post-it notes.

More than 20 men in blue prison uniforms and several members of the Freedom Reads team in black t-shirts pose for a group photo

Two men in a prison stand on opposite sides of the Freedom Library bookcase looking at books.

ICYMI: Freedom Reads opened 22 Freedom Libraries and brought the #InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 to Illinois last week 📚

This week, the Freedom Reads team is Inside in Connecticut bringing the Prize to judges at two more prisons.

Learn more ➡️ freedomreads.org/news/press-r...

April 2025 Newsletter | Freedom Reads Freedom Reads: Showing Up

Freedom Reads' April Newsletter dropped today!

Freedom Reads Founder & CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts reflects on #NationalPoetryMonth.

Plus, learn about this month's Freedom Library openings & the kick-off to #InsideLiteraryPrize 2025 in Illinois ⬇️ freedomreads.org/news/newslet...

🗓️ Mark your calendars: Freedom Reads Founder & CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts and acclaimed writer and winner of the inaugural #InsideLiteraryPrize @imaniperry.bsky.social in conversation at the @92ndstreety.bsky.social on June 10!

Join in-person or virtually ➡️ www.92ny.org/event/regina...

8 women wearing white prison uniforms gather around the Freedom Library, looking through the new books.

This week, Freedom Reads brought Freedom Libraries and the #InsideLiteraryPrize to Illinois! 📚

We opened 22 Freedom Libraries across cellblocks in Decatur and Illinois River Correctional Centers 💫

Freedom Reads

Follow Freedom Reads on social media and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with this year's #InsideLiteraryPrize ➡️ donate.freedomreads.org/np/clients/f...

Inside Literary Prize | Freedom Reads The first major US literary prize awarded by incarcerated people.

Read more about the #InsideLiteraryPrize, and find out the 2025 shortlist 📚 freedomreads.org/showing-up/i...

@innovatingjustice.bsky.social
@nationalbook.bsky.social

When we recognize our history, we can find hope and connection 💜

Heather, one of last year’s #InsideLiteraryPrize judges from MCF – Shakopee, shares her thoughts about her favorite book from the 2024 shortlist, “South to America” by @imaniperry.bsky.social, which won the inaugural Prize.

Inside Literary Prize | Freedom Reads The first major US literary prize awarded by incarcerated people.

Read about the 2025 #InsideLiteraryPrize 📚 freedomreads.org/showing-up/i...

@innovatingjustice.bsky.social
@nationalbook.bsky.social

“My voice mattered.” 💜

Chelsea and Heather from MN Correctional Facility – Shakopee share their thoughts about judging last year's #InsideLiteraryPrize, the 1st US-based literary prize judged exclusively by incarcerated readers.