S18 Ep18: Dwayne (Shaheed) Betts - Freedom Reads

Truth & Justice with Bob Ruff · May 3, 2026 · 52m

Reginald Dwayne Betts was incarcerated as a teenager and spent nearly nine years in prison. While inside, he discovered literature and poetry, including during time in solitary confinement, where books were treated as contraband. After his release, he went on to become a nationally recognized poet, a Yale-trained lawyer, and the founder of Freedom Reads, an organization bringing handcrafted libraries directly into prison cellblocks. His work sits at the intersection of accountability, reentry, dignity, literature, and the question of whether America truly believes people can change. In this…