Dozens Of 'Freedom Libraries' Built At 2 State Prisons In New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — Dozens of new libraries were recently built at two state prisons in New Jersey.

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) and national nonprofit Freedom Reads announced the opening of 37 new “Freedom Libraries” in cellblocks at Northern State Prison and the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility.

According to the NJDOC, the books in the new libraries have been carefully curated through consultations with hundreds of poets, novelists, philosophers, teachers, friends and “voracious readers” – resulting in a collection of books that are not only beloved, but indispensable.

The libraries include contemporary poetry, novels and essays, alongside classic works such as Homer’s “The Odyssey” and Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man.”

The Freedom Libraries are the brainchild of 2021 MacArthur Fellow and Yale Law School graduate Reginald Dwayne Betts, who was sentenced in Virginia to nine years in prison at age 16.

Betts read poems from his new book, “Doggerel,” as part of the activities at Edna Mahan and Northern State this week. It was a reminder of “the power of literature to connect us all,” he said.

“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,” Betts said. “And, most importantly, we tried to remind those inside that their voices… their opinions… their lives matter.”

NJDOC Commissioner Victoria Kuhn thanked Freedom Reads for the donations.

“The Freedom Library collections are more than books and resources – they are agents for transformation,” Kuhn said, adding that books “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.”

• See Related: These NJ Students Earned Their Diplomas While Incarcerated

LITERARY PRIZE

The Freedom Reads team also recently held book discussions, voting and author readings at Edna Mahan and Northern State for the second annual “Inside Literary Prize.”

Launched in 2023 by Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation and the Center for Justice Innovation – with support from Lori Feathers – the award is the first-ever U.S.-based literary prize awarded exclusively by incarcerated prisoners.

Twenty-five eager readers at Edna Mahan and Northern State are serving as judges for the 2025 prize. They recently cast their ballots for one of this year’s four shortlisted books: “Chain-Gang All-Stars” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, “This Other Eden” by Paul Harding, “On a Woman’s Madness” by Astrid Roemer, and “Blackouts” by Justin Torres.

“Each book had so many layers of symbolism and messages,” one of the judges at Edna Mahan wrote. “I believe if I re-read these books again, I would unravel more layers about each character.”

The winner of the 2025 prize will be announced this July.

• See Related: Renew This Federal Program That Boosts Ex-Inmates, NJ Senator Urges
• See Related: Training For NJ Inmates Could Ease Worker Shortages, Advocates Say

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