The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned. –Bryan Stevenson

“This book is important. But it is a candle in a hurricane.” This is a statement from one of the participants in the prison reading group I lead each month. In the fall of 2019, I was thinking of designing a research project regarding literacy efforts in jails and prisons. I stumbled across an article by Lisa D’Onofrio about how she ran a prison book club. My university is close to a maximum-security prison in Florida so I began working with the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution to create a prison reading group with ten male inmates. The goals of the group included increasing literacy for the inmates, keeping them in touch with current affairs by reading non-fiction books, and engaging them as they prepare to re-enter the community.

The group was designed to begin in January 2020 and run for six months. The participants would get one non-fiction book per month and we would meet on the last Friday for two hours to discuss the book at the prison chapel. The participants completed an initial anonymous questionnaire and will complete another anonymous survey at the end of the pilot study. The participants were also provided a composition book and pens to use throughout the study. Anyone interested in the group could sign up through the prison library.

In January, we were discussing our first month’s choice, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson.  Because of the message of Just Mercy, it was a great book to begin facilitating a discussion about incarceration. The majority of the group enjoyed the book but also found it somewhat depressing because it reminded them of what they personally faced in the criminal justice system. They did appreciate that the book shines a light on what happens within the barbed wire of a jail or prison. But they felt it was like a candle in a hurricane—a flicker of light in a world pointing people in other directions. They expressed they often feel forgotten. It was a fascinating conversation. Some of the participants spoke more than others, but everyone said something about the book. When asked to define mercy, one participant said it is being there when someone needs you the most.  Another participant began discussing the “veneer of toughness” required of those incarcerated. We talked about the dangers of showing vulnerability and the importance of reading to stay connected.

At the end of the first meeting, the participants were given February’s book, “The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit” by Michael Finkel. This book details a man who left his life behind and lived in the Maine forest for decades before his arrest and returns to society.  The group met at the end of February and we spent a lot of time talking about the ideas of solitary confinement in the institutional setting vs. the solitary life of the book’s subject. They spoke about the challenges of having to rely on a criminal justice system that seemed stacked against defendants. They wondered how the system could be trusted when prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges work together every day. They were concerned that case outcomes could be sacrificed in order for those individuals to have functional working relationships within the courtroom. Their opinions about justice were quite interesting. In the book, the man steals from cabins in order to stay off the grid in Maine. The participants overwhelmingly agreed the subject should have been punished to the fullest extent of the law. We had a discussion about choices, self-sufficiency, and restitution. The participants questioned how the subject of the book could be exonerated when he made the choice to commit the criminal offense. We discussed whether the purpose of prison is to be a warehouse or to be a place of rehabilitation. The participants were given their book for March at the end of the meeting, Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime.”  The participants were also given a voluntary creative writing exercise designed by George Ella Lyon, a Kentucky author. Her poetry exercise is titled “Where I’m From” and comes with templates readers can use to write their own version. The format of the poem is to use imagery to let the reader know about the author’s history and from where they were raised.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the remaining meetings were canceled until further notice. I was able to deliver the books for the April meeting, “Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II” by Liza Mundy.  Along with the book, a mail-in questionnaire about thoughts on “Born a Crime” was brought to the prison for distribution. I have received responses about “Born a Crime” in the mail. One of the participants said, “anyone who can laugh at himself and always find the humor in anything usually has all his marbles even if some of them rattle around a bit.” I appreciated the candor of this statement and agreed that Trevor Noah is a great example of someone who can find humor in the struggle. I have also received some wonderful poems.

The participants in the groups have expressed how much they enjoy meeting each month and discussing the books. They say the group also helps them interact with others they might not otherwise know within the institution. They are hoping the group continues past the original six-month pilot study. I thoroughly enjoy the monthly meetings as well. The conversations we have had are engaging and informative. I am glad we have been able to develop a workaround to still discuss our books during this time of quarantine. May’s book will be “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore. June’s book will be “Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth” by Sarah Smarsh. This has been an extraordinary project and I hope to be able to bring some added light to those who are incarcerated.

Jennifer L. Brinkley is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at the University of West Florida. She is also the host of Off Our Necks podcast, a podcast about women and the law.

Suggested Citation: Jennifer L. Brinkley, Starting a Prison Reading Group, JURIST – Academic Commentary, April 30, 2020, https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2020/04/jennifer-brinkley-prison-reading-group/

This article was prepared for publication by Gabrielle Wast, Assistant Editor for JURIST Commentary. Please direct any questions or comments to her at commentary@jurist.org