Designing Dignity: Lessons from Freedom Reads

What initially drew me to Freedom Reads was the care and intention behind everything the organization creates. Staff members travel all over the U.S delivering Freedom Libraries— bookshelves placed in prisons for incarcerated individuals. During my interview, I asked whether I’d have the opportunity to help build the libraries. When the answer was yes, I knew the internship would be an amazing opportunity. 

Design is at the heart of any organization. Not just the logo or branding, but it’s the way an organization communicates its value through every experience it creates. Because of this, I was excited to work on the libraries, a structure that has inspired thousands of people across the country. 

Working in the workshop was important to me because it is the essence of Freedom Reads. While organizing data in Airtable and managing inventory were also important parts of my internship, building the libraries felt like the clearest expression of Freedom Reads’ mission. Restructuring data, I came across hundreds of supporters, and saw lists of dozens of prisons that have been impacted by Freedom Reads. Seeing the scale of that support helped me understand that every library represented far more than a bookshelf. It represented a community of people investing in education, dignity, and second chances.  

Conducting data research for Freedom Reads using their program surveys from six prisons, I found that incarcerated individuals who have access to Freedom Libraries felt at least two of the following sentiments on average: informed/generous/curious/connected/engaged. Additionally, about 92% of individuals started reading more books per month. This exemplifies the positive impact of the Freedom Libraries, and inspired me to look more into what goes into creating the libraries. 

What surprised me the most about building the libraries is the delicate curation of them. The design looks simple from looking at it, but it requires minute details that make the libraries astounding. The chiseling of the corners, sanding the wood, and curing it with oil all add to its look. Spending time doing these tasks showed me how much thought and care is truly put into the libraries. Although every library followed the same “blueprint”, no two were exactly alike. Each reflected the craftmanship, care, and attention of the people who built it. That taught me something unexpected: meaningful systems can be standardized without losing the humanity behind them. 

One of the larger components of the internship was taking inventory of over 4,000 books within the storage rooms and library of Freedom Reads. Occasionally, our advisors would hand us books that have been put in the Freedom Libraries. As I sorted through the collection, I found a common theme of resilience, discrimination, complex family stories, and incarceration. I began to understand that every title had been selected intentionally, not simply to fill a shelf, but to spark reflection, conversation and hope.  

One of Freedom Reads’ flagship programs, the Inside Literary Prize, invites incarcerated readers to read, discuss, and select the year’s winning book. I saw the passion on their face as they pointed out nationally-recognized books on the screen. Watching that discussion reminded me that every decision was made with readers in mind. I would later design infographics for the first and second year of the program. I wanted to capture the thought and effort that was put into the book selection process, the national tour, and the award ceremony at the end of the year. 

Even if I didn’t get to see the final choices for this year, I knew they were good because of the passion that the staff had on their faces. 

Throughout the summer, the project that we had the most creative ownership over was designing merchandise. Picking cool colors and graphics was the easy part. The difficult part was figuring out how to communicate everything Freedom Reads represents through a tote bag, bookmark, and hoodie. The process took a few revisions, and team members left comments on what they did and didn’t like. Every round brought us closer to designs that felt authentic to the organization and the people it serves. 

That process changed the way I think about designing. Before this internship, I mostly thought about design as something visual. At Freedom Reads, I learned that design is also a way to tell a story. Looking back, that is what inspired me the most about Freedom Reads. The organization tells its story through the books it chooses for Freedom Libraries, the merchandise it shares with its community, and the bookshelves it builds by hand. Everything is created with intention. That experience changed how I think about social innovation. I came into this internship excited to help build libraries, but I left understanding that every detail can be another way to communicate dignity, care, and purpose. That’s something I’ll carry with me long after this summer.