I was stuck in my cell for 20 hours a day

Storytelling changes everything. It introduces us to other people's life experiences and cracks open our capacity to care and connect. For the storyteller, it provides what may be a first in a lifetime opportunity to express oneself and be heard. Some of the most powerful stories illuminate aspects of society that we lack the will to confront. Glen McGinnis wanted the nation to know about young Black and Brown men like himself, sentenced to death row for a crime committed as a minor. He craved education, a resource the Texas prison system did not provide. His aspirations led to the launching of Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop, a nonprofit that creates community among currently and formerly incarcerated men and women through books and the conversations they spark. In this episode of Power Station, I speak with Deputy Director Julia Mascioli and Poet Ambassador Curtis McKnight about the unique challenges of DC residents who are incarcerated first in DC jails and then within the federal prison system. We talk about the Prison Book Club, which connects 900 incarcerated people in over 100 prisons and the looming threat of HR 5140, now headed to the Senate. Listen and share!