Rafael
Rafael
Rafael served nearly 11 years in prison starting at the age of 16 before being granted compassionate release due to health complications during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is enjoying time with his family, studying the stock market, and working for his mother’s event planning company. He plans to continue his college studies to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business information technology.
BOOKS BY RAFAEL
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
