Reginald Dwayne Betts

Betts is a poet and lawyer. He created the Million Book Project, an initiative to curate libraries and install them in prisons across the country. His collection of poetry, “Felon,” explores the post-incarceration experience. In 2019, he won a National Magazine Award in Essays and Criticism for his article in the magazine about his journey from teenage carjacker to aspiring lawyer.

Recent Articles

We Must Give All Prisoners Access to Resources to Pursue College Education

One of the lies that people tell about prison is that men and women and children inside don’t crave the wonders that can be found in a book. Some stories I tell often, one in...

By Reginald Dwayne Betts

I Spent My Teen Years in Solitary Confinement and This Is What I Learned

President Obama’s recent reforms aren’t enough to fix a broken system

By Reginald Dwayne Betts
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