When You Hear Me (You Hear Us): Voices On Youth Incarceration

by Free Minds Writers

Overview

This anthology of poetry and personal stories centers 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 over 100 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.

About the Authors

Shout Mouse Press is dedicated to centering and amplifying the voices of marginalized youth (ages 12+) via writing workshops, publication, and public speaking opportunities. In collaboration with community-based partners, we have produced 45 books by 350+ youth.

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop uses the literary arts, workforce development, and violence prevention to connect incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults to their voices, their purpose, and the wider community. Since its inception, Free Minds has reached over 1,500 youths and adults with long-term, continuous support.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781950807369
Publisher:	Shout Mouse Press, Inc.
Publication date:	10/07/2021
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

★ 2021-10-26
A collection of prose and poetry featuring the voices of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and adults.

“I find myself growing up / in a judicial system / and not at home with my parents, / growing every day in prison / makes me feel less than human,” Carlos shares. Alisha writes, “I know how to count because I’m nine now / I’m counting four therapists, two psychiatrists, thirty days, eight needles, and one wish.” They are among the writers in this compilation who tell their heartbreaking stories, envisioning a brighter future for themselves and demanding changes to a broken, unjust criminal legal system. These compelling poems, essays, and interviews are the result of 20 years of outreach to over 1,500 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults by the Washington, D.C.–based Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, an organization founded to “fulfill the vision of Glen McGinnis, a young man who discovered his love for reading while on death row in Texas for a crime committed when he was 17 years old.” (McGinnis was later executed.) The graphic depictions of abuse, neglect, solitary confinement, suicidal ideation, and violence are unsettling and vividly convey the writers’ experiences. The perspectives of family members, a former prosecutor, a public defender, and a judge are also included, rounding out readers’ understanding of these issues. Photographs of many contributors enhance the text.

A powerful, devastating, essential read for anyone who believes in true justice for all. (Anthology. 13-adult)

Kirkus Reviews