Felon: Poems | 
pickThis was a challenging read for me. Betts was 16 years old when he was tried as an adult and sent to prison. His poetry focuses on prison reform, life after prison, and unfair bail practices. I thought his redacted poems (pictured above) were really well done. The challenging part for me was when I read that his crime was a carjacking at the mall where I take my kids. Such an important book that gave me so much to think about.
pickThere are many places to follow-up with a few words on a poetry book that addresses the effects of incarceration. I feel that the areas of loss fatherhood and the benevolent action of grace resonated the most with me. I didn‘t need to know more about the causes - poor education, diminished self-esteem, destroyed self-worth, broken hope, unemployment, barely making it work wages, not making it work wages, domestic violence,👇🏽
Why do we read literature? Why do we read poetry? Possibly to experience another reality. Possibly for a moment of escapism. Possibly to get the gist of another person‘s narrative. Possibly to understand all living on some base level. But maybe...maybe, to get at some internal deficiency within ourselves.👇🏽
Saturday. Spent some time in the bookstore. Wandered for hours. No magnetic pull. Deciding to leave empty-handed, but maybe just one more glance at the poetry table. One last copy of this book. A closer look at the cover. A mental note of the title. A quick conclusion, Today, I am not sad, and I don‘t want to be sad.👇🏽
pickBe sure to read the Acknowledgments at the end when you read this.
Books like these should be part of law enforcement training curriculum. I say this as the spouse of a law enforcement officer, from whom I have heard many stories of the difficulties, failures, and the successes (there are some) of the U.S. incarceration system.
#blacklivesmatter
#civilrightscorps
These poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts really make me catch my breath.
#blacklivesmatter
#civilrightscorps
pickThese poems were, I think written for a different audience then myself. But these poems had heart and deep emotional pain that was experienced at the hands of incarceration. They explored various topics that relate to being locked up, these poems should be studied and listened to by people wanting to hear the voices of thoes who have been victims of the criminal justice system.
pickThese poems tell the truth about how prison changes you, how it never leaves you, and what relationships are like afterward, particularly if you are also black and recently incarcerated. It is its own form of PTSD.
