“Before I came to Free Minds, I knew how to read, but until I read and talked about the books you brought me, I didn’t know how much I could love it. Now, I may be locked down for 24 hours a day, but if I have books, I can take my mind to another place, and see new ways of living.”
–Kuron, age 19
About Us
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our History
Whom We Serve
Who We Are
Our Mission
Our mission is to introduce young inmates to the transformative power of books and creative writing. By mentoring them and connecting them to supportive services throughout their incarceration into reentry, Free Minds inspires these youths to see their potential and achieve new educational and career goals.
Our Vision
That every young inmate receives the necessary tools, inspiration and community support to pursue education and follow a positive new path in life.
Our History
The idea for Free Minds began with an unsolicited letter from a stranger. In 1996, Founder and Executive Director Kelli Taylor, was working as a journalist when she received a letter from Glen McGinnis, a young inmate on Texas’ death row. At that time, Glen had been incarcerated for more than five years for a crime committed when he was 17 years old. In response to this contact, Kelli produced a television documentary about Glen and other juveniles on death row in America. After the program aired, she continued to correspond with Glen over the next four years and ultimately participated in his remarkable journey of personal and educational growth. Books sent to him in prison provided the perfect common ground where two individuals from very different backgrounds could meet and their lives could be positively transformed. While Glen’s formal education ended at the age of 11, reading and writing opened up a whole new world of knowledge and possibility to him during his incarceration. Glen’s execution in 2000 was a catalyst for action. In 2002, Kelli and colleague Tara Libert founded the Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop and committed themselves to introducing at-risk teens at the DC Jail to the life-changing power of reading and writing.
Free Minds began as a bi-weekly program for young inmates held in the DC Jail. As members were released or transferred to federal prison after turning 18, Kelli and Deputy Director, Tara Libert, recognized that maintaining contact throughout incarceration and beyond was vital to helping these youths positively redirect their lives. Over the last four years, Free Minds has expanded its services to include a weekly Book Club Program; a Continuing Support Program which provides new books and written correspondence to members after transfer to federal prison; and a Reentry Support Program which connects released members to the people, programs and services in the community that will help them to achieve their new educational and career goals.
Whom We Serve
Free Minds serves the more than 50 new male juveniles, who are charged and incarcerated as adults at the DC Jail each year. Ninety two percent are African American and 8 percent are Latino. The majority comes from the city’s most crime-stricken neighborhoods where nearly half of the children live below the poverty rate. At 16 and 17 years old, they read on average, at a fifth grade level and most have already dropped out of, or disengaged from school. More than half of the youth served by Free Minds also have parents or other close family members who have been incarcerated, and a majority already has children themselves. Juveniles who are incarcerated as adults are at extremely high risk for future violent criminal activity {1}. At the same time, access to educational programs while incarcerated has proven to reduce recidivism {2}. By reaching these youths at this critical juncture, and exciting them about learning, Free Minds motivates these young men to pursue positive new directions for their futures. Since its inception, Free Minds has reached nearly 200 youths through our Book Club, Continuing Support and Reentry Programs.
Who We Are
Kelli Taylor, Co-founder and Executive Director
Before starting Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, Kelli worked for 12 years as a television news and documentary producer. From 1998 – 2002, she served as a trained volunteer for Offender Aid and Restoration, mentoring and sharing literature with young inmates at the Arlington County Jail. She is an experienced book club facilitator for the Great Book Foundation’s Junior Great Books program in Arlington County schools, which uses a proven curriculum to help students develop essential literacy skills. Kelli is a member of the DC Department of Corrections LINCS (Linking Institutions, Neighborhoods, and Community Services Together) Reentry Program for ex-offenders. As Executive Director of Free Minds, Kelli is Co-coordinator of the Book Club and Reentry Programs, and Director of Continuing Support.
Tara Libert, Co-founder and Deputy Director
Tara is an award-winning radio and television news and documentary producer. Since 1990, she has produced numerous features on US criminal justice issues for foreign broadcasters, including a special series on incarcerated juveniles in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2000, Tara began volunteering with Georgetown University’s Family Literacy program, tutoring incarcerated parents at DC’s Central Treatment Facility in literacy skills and teaching them how to share a love of reading with their young children. She is trained as a tutor with the Literacy Volunteers of America and currently serves as a mediator/facilitator in alternative dispute resolution for juveniles at the Community Conferencing Center in Montgomery County, MD. In her role as Deputy Director of Free Minds, Tara is Co-Coordinator of the Book Club and Reentry Programs and leads Free Minds’ outreach and education efforts.
Juliana Ratner, Program Coordinator
Juliana Ratner, Program Coordinator - Born and raised in the DC area,
Juliana helped organize Hear Us Out! 2008 in July - Free Minds’
biggest and most successful poetry reading to date. After four months
of world travel, Juliana returned to her hometown in January, expressly
to accept a full-time position with Free Minds. She manages our office
and co-coordinates outreach and reentry efforts. Juliana has a B.A. in
cultural anthropology from Warren Wilson College, speaks three languages,
and loves books. Along with time spent teaching writing and poetry, Juliana
has experience working for both domestic and international non-profits.
Our Board
Susan Galbraith
Founder, Our Place
DC
Reuben Pemberton, III
Analyst, DC Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs
Pamela Schiffleger
Managing Consultant, IBM Global Business Services
Nicholette Smith Bligen
Chief of Staff and Vice President of Operations, DC
Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation
Mark Timberlake
Youth Development Specialist, DC Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services
Our Advisory Board
Susie Kay
Founder and President, Hoop
Dreams Scholarship Fund
Andrew Ferguson
Staff Attorney, Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.