Free Read: Our First Visit to Hawkins Women’s Unit

“I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life.” – Malcolm X

The idea for Free Read was inspired by this quote by Malcolm X. I connected the dots between his words and a need for a prison books program for women about a year after I retired from teaching. For more than 30 years, I taught high school English. First at Little Rock Central High in the 80s and 90s and then at Episcopal Collegiate School, from 2000 – 2017. Obviously, I’m a passionate advocate of the freedom reading brings.

Like many retirees, I seem to be busier now than I was when I was teaching full time! However, I was still lacking a meaningful way to connect my life-long love of learning and reading with a mission, so I began researching. That’s when I learned about prison books programs in other states.  The concept is simple:  to give incarcerated people gently-read paperbacks on subjects of interest to them.  The books are free to the inmates and are theirs to keep. 

Although the Arkansas Department of Corrections Units have prison libraries and literacy programs, there did not seem to be an organization in Arkansas that was providing books on request to individual inmates. I pitched the idea to a group of friends from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, who were excited and supportive. In the middle of the long pandemic summer, we got to work. The Church provided space; family, friends, and the Central Arkansas Library System provided used paperbacks; and, most importantly, the Chaplain at Hawkins Women’s Unit in Wrightsville enthusiastically agreed to partner with Free Read. 

The prison was closed to visitors due to COVID-19, and the Free Read committee members were social distancing, and yet, we were able to receive and fill book requests from 81 women. We received requests for books on cooking, gardening, crocheting, starting a business, on alcoholism and substance abuse, on violence toward women, on religion and spirituality, as well as mysteries, romance, biographies, and history.  There were several requests for dictionaries and GED study guides.  Without doubt, the women of Hawkins want to read. 

On December 18, 2020, a clear, crisp winter’s day, my husband James and I made the short drive from Little Rock to Wrightsville, AR, to deliver the first batch of paperback books to J. Aaron Hawkins, Jr. Women’s Unit. With that delivery of 161 books, Free Read: A Books Program for Women in Arkansas Prisons actually came into being.  We go back to Hawkins in a few days to deliver books of meditations to be used by individuals or small groups. Our next delivery of individually requested books will be in early February, and we are hoping for a big response from the women. 

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who called, texted and emailed. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming! I’ll post here to keep all of you updated on our progress and the impact your gift of books has on the women at Hawkins.