Cheleta

Cheleta is a published poet. She works full-time as a mail handler with the US Postal Service. As one of the founding members of The WIRE(Women Involved in Reentry Efforts), Cheleta’s passion is to provide social support and life skills training to women in prison who are dealing with anger issues as a result of trauma. She speaks on justice issues at conferences across the country.

BOOKS BY CHELETA

When You Hear Me (You Hear Us)

Voices on Youth Incarceration

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Foreword Indies Finalist
Independent Press Award Winner
“A powerful, devastating, essential read” - Starred review in Kirkus Reviews

When You Hear Me (You Hear Us) is an anthology of poetry and personal stories centering the voices of those directly impacted by the incarceration of young people in the United States. Compiled by Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, this rich collection includes firsthand accounts from both the young people charged and incarcerated in the adult criminal legal system and from the community at large: the mothers, the loved ones, the correctional staff, public defenders, prosecutors, and others harmed and left with unhealed trauma. These critical voices, uniquely combined, illustrate the ecosystem that surrounds youth who are incarcerated--and expose the ripple effects that touch us all. This book challenges us to hear these voices calling out for accountability, transformative justice, and healing. Together, they demonstrate the collective impact of the prison system, and our collective responsibility to create a society where every one of us can thrive.

ISBN: 978-1-950807-34-5
Age: 12+
Page Count: 288
Published: Fall 2021