SPRINGFIELD, IL – Last week, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) welcomed the national non-profit Freedom Reads to Logan and Shawnee Correctional Centers to facilitate book discussions, voting, and author events for the third annual Inside Literary Prize. During the visit to Logan Correctional Center, Freedom Reads also opened seven new Freedom Libraries in housing units throughout the facility, expanding access to literature and creating lasting spaces for connection and reflection. The new libraries at Logan Correctional Center bring the total to 35 Freedom Libraries installed in four IDOC facilities since 2022, including six at Decatur Correctional Center, 16 at Illinois River Correctional Center, and one at Lincoln Correctional Center.
“Reading creates space for reflection and growth, giving individuals the chance to engage with new ideas and perspectives,” said Illinois Department of Corrections Director Latoya Hughes. “With the expansion of Freedom Libraries and the Inside Literary Prize, more individuals will benefit from resources that support critical thinking and meaningful engagement. We value our partnership with Freedom Reads and their continued commitment to expanding access to these opportunities.”
At Logan Correctional Center, a women’s facility in Lincoln, IL, incarcerated judges engaged in an in-depth discussion with Freedom Reads staff before voting for the book they believe should win from the Inside Literary Prize 2026 shortlist. The judges then heard a poetry reading and an author talk by Reginald Dwayne Betts, an award-winning poet, author, and Founder and CEO of Freedom Reads.
“One of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced with Freedom Reads is returning to a prison to open more libraries. In Illinois this week, it was deeply moving hearing people stop us to thank us for the books. Hearing people tell me that they’d read Felon and it mattered to them. Returning to a prison without handcuffs, to show care and love for people, has become the way we remind ourselves that freedom begins with a book,” said Reginald Dwayne Betts.
At Shawnee Correctional Center, a men’s facility in Vienna, IL, 25 incarcerated judges engaged in a three-hour book discussion with Freedom Reads staff before welcoming 2025 Inside Literary Prize winner Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah for a book reading and signing of his book, Chain Gang All-Stars.
“Freedom Reads events are grounded in community and a genuine love for the written word. Spending time with the staff and the guys inside felt enriching to my spirit and truly rewarding, said Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, about returning to the Inside Literary Prize to meet this year’s judges at Shawnee Correctional Center.
Launched in 2023 by Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation with support from Lori Feathers, the Inside Literary Prize is the first-ever US-based literary prize awarded exclusively by currently incarcerated people. This week, incarcerated readers at both Logan and Shawnee Correctional Centers are serving as judges for the 2026 Prize, casting their ballots this week for one of this year’s five shortlisted books – Aednan by Linnea Axelsson, All Fours by Miranda July, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, My Friends by Hisham Matar, and The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa. The winner of the 2026 Prize will be announced this summer.
Freedom Reads is a first-of-its-kind organization that empowers incarcerated individuals through literature. Founded by 2021 MacArthur Fellow and Yale Law graduate Reginald Dwayne Betts—who was sentenced to nine years in prison at age 16—Freedom Reads creates spaces in prisons, where reaching for a book can be as natural as curiosity itself. Each handcrafted bookcase, made of maple, cherry, oak, or walnut, features a curved design that contrasts with prison bars and echoes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of justice.
The libraries are carefully curated collections shaped by poets, novelists, philosophers, and avid readers. They include contemporary and classic works—from poetry and essays to novels like The Odyssey and Invisible Man—highlighting literature’s enduring role in the pursuit of freedom.
About Freedom Reads
Founded by Reginald Dwayne Betts, Freedom Reads works to empower individuals through literature, confronting the challenges of incarceration by providing access to books and fostering a culture of reading. Inspired by the belief that freedom begins with a book, Freedom Reads supports incarcerated individuals in transforming their lives through increased access to literature and engagement with writers.
About the Inside Literary Prize
In 2023, Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation, with support from literary podcaster Lori Feathers, announced the launch of the Inside Literary Prize, the first-ever US-based literary prize awarded exclusively by currently incarcerated people. The Prize is awarded each year to one of four shortlisted books by a jury of 300 incarcerated readers from prisons across the nation. This initiative seeks to honor the insights incarcerated readers and add to cultural conversations and expand access to our country’s most thought-provoking literature for people who are incarcerated.