Freedom Reads

What Freedom Reads does

Freedom Reads is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Hamden, Connecticut, founded in 2020 by poet and Yale-trained lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts. The organization installs handcrafted Freedom Libraries — curved wooden bookcases (maple, oak, cherry, walnut) holding 500 curated books — directly in U.S. prison cellblocks, and serves incarcerated adults and youth in state, federal, and juvenile facilities. As of the September 2025 homepage snapshot it reports 671 libraries across 63 adult and youth prisons in 15 states, with 279,750+ books shipped and additional statewide rollouts in New Jersey, Minnesota, Missouri, and Washington through 2026.

The core offering is physical rather than digital: bookcases are fabricated at the Hamden shop under Chief Production Officer Tyler Sperrazza and at the embedded Revival Workshop in New Orleans, with the Freedom Library design credited to MASS Design Group (2020 AIA Firm Award; WSJ Architecture Innovator Award). Supporting programs include the Inside Literary Prize — the first major U.S. literary award judged exclusively by incarcerated people, co-founded with the National Book Foundation and Center for Justice Innovation in 2023 — the Freedom Takes Podcast hosted by Betts, Freedom Edition paperbacks produced in partnership with W.W. Norton for simultaneous prison availability, and the Writing Freedom Fellowship with Haymarket Books and the Mellon Foundation.

Revenue is entirely philanthropic. Streams include individual donations (one-time, recurring, and donor-advised funds), foundation grants anchored by a $5.25M founding grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2020, corporate and nonprofit partnerships (e.g., National Book Foundation, Center for Justice Innovation), and check gifts; all offerings are free to facilities and patrons. Distribution is a direct enterprise motion — relationship-building with DOC commissioners, wardens, and state officials — supplemented by content marketing (newsletter, blog, podcast), earned media, and the annual Inside Literary Prize tour. The technology stack is utility-grade (Neon One for donations, Google Analytics, Mapbox, YouTube/Spotify, reCAPTCHA) with no proprietary platform.

Name

Freedom Reads

Legal name

Freedom Reads

Website

https://freedomreads.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Freedom Reads is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that installs handcrafted wooden Freedom Libraries holding 500 curated books in U.S. prison cellblocks. Founded in 2020, it serves incarcerated adults and youth across 15 states through the Inside Literary Prize, Freedom Takes Podcast, and Freedom Edition paperbacks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prison Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations (EDAEAGAD)

Keywords

• Prison literacy programs
• Incarceration rehabilitation
• Correctional library services
• Literary arts programming
• Nonprofit book distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via credit card and ACH transfers through the organization's donation portal (donate.freedomreads.org). Monthly giving program available.
2. Foundation Grants: Major grants from foundations including a $5.25 million launch grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Organizations can contact [email protected] for grant-related inquiries.
3. Corporate and Nonprofit Partnerships: Partnerships with organizations like National Book Foundation, Center for Justice Innovation, and corporate sponsors that support specific programs and library installations.
4. Donor Advised Funds: Accepts gifts through Donor Advised Funds as an additional giving mechanism for supporters.
5. Check Donations: Accepts check donations mailed to the organization's Connecticut office address.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Freedom Reads is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs, fabricates, and installs handcrafted wooden Freedom Libraries containing 500 curated books in the center of prison cellblocks. The organization complements the libraries with literary programming including performances, writers' talks, the Inside Literary Prize (a literary award judged by incarcerated readers), and the Freedom Takes Podcast.

Product overview

Freedom Reads is a nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio centered on the Freedom Library program — handcrafted wooden bookcases with 500 curated books placed in prison cellblocks. Supporting programs include the Freedom Takes Podcast (literary conversations for incarcerated and general audiences), the Inside Literary Prize (a literary award judged by incarcerated readers), and Freedom Edition books (specially produced paperback editions for prisons). The organization was founded in 2020 and has placed 671 Freedom Libraries across 63 prisons in 15 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Freedom Takes Podcast: A podcast from Freedom Reads produced for listeners in prison and out, exploring the relationship between literature and freedom.
• Inside Literary Prize

Products and services

• Freedom Library Handcrafted wooden bookcases (maple, oak, cherry, black walnut) installed in prison cellblocks, each containing a curated collection of 500 books by contemporary poets, novelists, essayists, and classic authors. Built by teams including formerly incarcerated craftspeople; designed by MASS Design Group to symbolize the universe bending toward justice.
• Inside Literary Prize The nation's first major literary award judged exclusively by currently incarcerated people. Incarcerated readers serve as judges, voting on shortlisted books and engaging with authors during a multi-state prison tour.
• Freedom Takes Podcast A podcast exploring the relationship between literature and freedom, hosted by Reginald Dwayne Betts. Features conversations with authors such as Jesmyn Ward, James McBride, and Jason Reynolds about their lives as writers and readers. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and RSS.
• Freedom Edition Books Special paperback editions of books created simultaneously with hardcover releases in partnership with publishers, making new titles immediately available to incarcerated readers without waiting for standard paperback publication.

Quantifiable outcome

• 671 Freedom Libraries installed in 63 adult and youth prisons across 15 states
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Haymarket BookscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner with Mellon Foundation on the third cohort of Writing Freedom Fellowship, recognizing 20 emerging and established writers whose lives have been impacted by the carceral system.
• W.W. NortoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Publisher partner that collaborates with Reginald Dwayne Betts to create 'Freedom Edition' special paperback books available simultaneously for incarcerated readers, rather than waiting for standard paperback releases.
• National Book FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-founder of the Inside Literary Prize, the nation's first major literary award judged exclusively by incarcerated people. National Book Foundation provides literary expertise, author connections, and co-branding for the annual prize program and reading lists.
• Center for Justice InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-founder of the Inside Literary Prize. The Center for Justice Innovation contributes expertise in criminal justice reform, prison partnerships, and program implementation for the literary prize and reading initiatives.
• National Building MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Hosted the first public Freedom Library installation as part of the 'Justice is Beauty: The Work of MASS Design Group' exhibit (March-September 2022). This was the first time a Freedom Library was shown to the public outside of prison.
• Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at YaleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Selected Freedom Reads for their social innovation internship program. Two interns (Meara Brown and Ana Paula Padilla Castellanos) supported letter response and landscape research for the organization in 2023.
• Yale Club of New HavenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-selected Freedom Reads with Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale for their social innovation internship program in 2023, supporting nonprofit operations and research.
• MASS Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Architecture firm that designed the Freedom Library bookcases. Received AIA Architecture Firm Award (2020) and WSJ Architecture Innovator Award (2020) for their work including Freedom Libraries. The curved shelf design intentionally contrasts with prison architecture and symbolizes justice.
• Revival Workshop (New Orleans)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmbedded partner workshop in New Orleans where formerly incarcerated James Washington works crafting wooden bookcases for Freedom Libraries across the country.
• Lori Feathers (Interabang Books)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the Inside Literary Prize alongside National Book Foundation, Center for Justice Innovation, and Freedom Reads. Podcaster and co-owner of Interabang Books.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Marshall Project: Nonprofit news outlet covering the US criminal justice system. Comparable as a high-credibility criminal-justice organization driving public conversation, but operating in journalism rather than direct in-prison programming.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Major criminal justice research and reform organization working to end mass incarceration. Comparable as a large nonprofit influencing prison policy and practice, though operating through research and advocacy rather than direct in-prison programming.
• PEN America: Literature and free-expression nonprofit that runs prison-writing programs and advocates for incarcerated authors. Comparable in connecting literature with incarcerated audiences and in building national awareness of prison intellectual life.
• Equal Justice Initiative: Founded by Freedom Reads board member Bryan Stevenson, EJI is a major criminal justice reform organization focused on mass incarceration, excessive sentencing, and racial injustice. Comparable as a high-profile nonprofit in the same criminal justice ecosystem, though much larger in scope and budget.
• Center for Justice Innovation: Nonprofit that develops innovative criminal justice programs and is a co-founder of the Inside Literary Prize alongside Freedom Reads. Comparable as a strategic partner in criminal justice reform with overlapping DOC relationships, though broader in programmatic scope.

Direct peers

• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit supporting successful reentry from incarceration through education, housing, and employment services. Comparable in delivering prison- and reentry-focused programming to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, with overlap on educational enrichment.
• Books Through Bars: Volunteer-driven nonprofit that mails free books to incarcerated people across the US. Closely comparable mission of expanding reading access in prisons, though Books Through Bars distributes via mail rather than installing physical libraries on-site.
• Petey Greene Program: Nonprofit that recruits and trains volunteers to provide tutoring and college-prep support inside prisons and detention centers. Comparable in supporting incarcerated learners through direct in-facility programming, though focused on academic tutoring rather than curated library collections.
• Bard Prison Initiative: Bard College program offering rigorous liberal arts degrees to incarcerated individuals in New York State prisons. Comparable in delivering in-prison educational enrichment at scale within correctional settings, though focused on accredited coursework rather than literary programming.

Regional players

• Hour Children: New York-based nonprofit serving incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children through residential programs and advocacy. Comparable in mission scope but regionally focused on women and family-centered reentry rather than prison-wide library installations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/freedomreads
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-million-book-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Freedom Reads