They Called Me 299-359: Poetry by the Incarcerated Youth of Free Minds
They Called Me 299-359: Poetry by the Incarcerated Youth of Free Minds
#1 on the Top Ten Books for 2022 In The Margins Book Award
They Called Me 299-359 is an anthology of poetry and essays written, edited, and compiled by incarcerated youth who are Free Minds Book Club members, held both at the DC Jail and in adult federal facilities across the country. Through moving personal testimony, these young writers explore the challenges and pain of incarceration as well as family, forgiveness, redemption, and dreams. Their book is used as a tool for violence prevention and healing in Free Minds’s youth violence prevention initiative “On the Same Page,” and is also taught as part of college curricula at several universities. This 10th anniversary edition includes updated forewords from Free Minds poet ambassadors as well as from award-winning formerly incarcerated poet Reginald Dwayne Betts.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-15-4
Age: 12+
Lexile: NP
Page Count: 120
Published: Fall 2020
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Meet the Authors
As incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth, Free Minds writers use creative writing to escape, process, and share their lived experiences of the criminal justice system. Too often, youth caught in the U.S. justice system are spoken about but not heard from; by publishing their work, we aim to amplify these critical voices. We’re so proud of the ways their books have influenced conversations around race, criminal justice, violence prevention, and resilience across the city and the country. Through Author Talks, book donations, and book sales, the voices of Free Minds authors have reached readers and leaders across the country. Proceeds from Free Minds titles support new authors and fund future programming for incarcerated youth.
