Freedom Reads

Freedom Reads
Location: New Haven, CT
Founded by: Reginald Dwayne Betts (2020)
Annual budget: ~$2.5 million
Website: freedomreads.org

What they do:
Freedom Reads installs handcrafted 500-book libraries directly inside prison housing units and runs in-prison literary programs — including readings, author visits, and small group discussions. The libraries are built by formerly incarcerated master craftsmen, providing meaningful jobs while bringing beauty and care to spaces designed to punish. So far, they’ve built over 100 libraries in more than 30 prisons across 10 states.

Why it matters:
Most people in prison have no access to books in the housing units where they spend nearly all their time. Freedom Reads changes that — bringing literature, reflection, and imagination into the heart of daily prison life. It’s also relatively inexpensive: for the cost of a security system, a prison can install a permanent library that serves hundreds. Founder Dwayne Betts, who was once incarcerated himself, is determined to bring these libraries to every prison in America. If he succeeds, it could change not just access to books, but the culture of incarceration itself.