NJ Prisons Launch 37 Freedom Libraries & Celebrate 3rd Year of the Inside Literary Prize

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC), in collaboration with the national non-profit Freedom Reads, has announced the opening of 37 new in-prison libraries as part of a broader literary initiative aimed at fostering reading, reflection, and dialogue among incarcerated individuals. The new Freedom Libraries—10 at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility and 27 at Northern State Prison—bring a curated selection of literature directly to prison cellblocks.

"We gratefully acknowledge Freedom Reads for their generous donation. The Freedom Library collections are more than books and resources,” said Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, Esq. “They are agents for transformation and possess the power to empower individuals, unlock opportunities, and build a culture of learning that directly supports rehabilitation, reintegration, and the creation of a more promising future."

This effort is part of a larger mission by Freedom Reads, which has established 478 Freedom Libraries across 48 prisons in 12 states. Each library collection features a blend of contemporary and classic literature, including works such as The Odyssey by Homer and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, chosen in consultation with writers, educators, and avid readers. The bookcases themselves are handcrafted and curved, symbolizing a departure from the institutional geometry of prison walls and reflecting the ethos of transformation and justice.

“Freedom Reads’ vision is to open a Freedom Library in every cellblock in every prison in America, bringing the voices of Baldwin and Faulkner and Morrison to everyone Inside,” said Freedom Reads Founder & CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts. “At this week’s Freedom Library openings and Inside Literary Prize events, I read poems from my new book of poetry, Doggerel, and was again reminded of the power of literature to connect us all. We laughed, we wept, we imagined a possibility beyond prison walls, and we did it in collaboration with the leadership of the New Jersey Department of Corrections. And, most importantly, we tried to remind those Inside that their voices, their opinions, their lives matter.”

Alongside the launch of the libraries, Edna Mahan and Northern State are participating in the 2025 Inside Literary Prize, the first U.S.-based literary award judged exclusively by incarcerated readers. Twenty-five incarcerated individuals from the two New Jersey prisons are currently serving as judges, reading and voting on a shortlist of four books:

• Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

• This Other Eden by Paul Harding

• On a Woman’s Madness by Astrid Roemer

• Blackouts by Justin Torres

Voting is taking place this week, with the winning title set to be announced in July.

“Each book had so many layers of symbolism and messages,” Inside Literary Prize judge Tina at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility wrote to Freedom Reads. “I believe if I re-read these books again I would unravel more layers about each character. With each book I experienced many different feelings. These books were different genres that I normally don’t read but it was a good experience to venture out of my comfort zone.”

The literary programming has also included visits from authors and artists. At Edna Mahan, Freedom Reads founder and CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts performed a reading from his poetry collection Doggerel. At Northern State, Caits Meissner, editor of The Sentences That Create Us by PEN America, held an author event. These engagements are part of a national tour that will extend the Inside Literary Prize to over 300 incarcerated judges in additional states and territories this spring.

Freedom Reads was founded by Betts, a 2021 MacArthur Fellow and Yale Law School graduate who was himself incarcerated as a teenager. The organization aims to transform prison environments by embedding accessible literary resources that can inspire introspection and growth. The Freedom Libraries are intended to provide moments of spontaneous engagement with literature, in settings that often limit such opportunities.

This partnership with the NJDOC marks a significant expansion of Freedom Reads’ mission within New Jersey and reflects a growing trend in correctional education that emphasizes the rehabilitative power of the arts and literature.

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