Johnnie Arthur, a judge at a nationwide literary competition called the Inside Literary Prize, says 300 people will soon decide a winner. He has a favorite book, it’s titled On a Woman’s Madness.
“That book, I think I can relate to in a certain way, because of what she was going through as what my mother went through; how she was in a relationship with her man and she was trying to get out (of the) relationship, and she was trying to find freedom and love,” Arthur said.
Arthur is incarcerated at the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution in Somers. The literary competition, now in its second year, is partly a creation of Freedom Reads, an organization which helps supply libraries inside correctional facilities across the country.
Advocates say programs like these support rehabilitation efforts,and have helped the staff members successfully reintegrate into society with the help of Freedom Reads.
The competition gives incarcerated people agency, according to Eulalia Garcia, director of programs and treatment at the Connecticut Department of Correction.
“Having incarcerated individuals determine who the winner of a literary prize will be, illustrates that their voices and opinions matter and are being heard,” Garcia said in a statement.
At least 300 incarcerated people across the country at a dozen correctional facilities will pick one out of four nominees.
They are: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This Other Eden by Paul Harding. On a Woman’s Madness, by Astrid Roemer, and Blackouts by Justin Torres.The winner will be announced in July.
Greg Sarris, who is serving a two year sentence, has taken wholeheartedly to the competition, participating in discussions with other judges.
“It was a chance to get four books and read; not the genres I would have chosen for all of them,” Sarris said. “Two of the books were really good. I enjoyed them a lot, and one was okay, and then the other one was so, so.”
As for what book has special meaning for him, Sarris mentioned the Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas. He jokingly emphasized the prison escape plotline. Like Arthur, Sarris didn’t grow up reading too much. But he says he enjoys reading books by Dashiell Hammett; an acclaimed author of detective novels.
Meanwhile, other inmates stood in line for a book signing, after hearing guest speaker, and now, English professor at the University of New Haven, Randall Horton read excerpts of his book, Dead Weight.
Horton was formerly incarcerated in Maryland. Standing next to them was Steven Parkhurst. He’s a communications manager for Freedom Reads.
Parkhurst, who was also incarcerated at Cybulski, said Freedom Reads isn’t a reentry program, but it ended up having a crucial impact on his life.
“Everything from digital literacy to workplace decorum, etiquette around emailing and public speaking, interfacing with DOC on a professional level instead of on an incarceration level; I don't think I could have done it as smoothly without the folks on the team,” Parkhurst said.
Parkhurst said others inside now see what he has been able to do and want to do similar things when they are released. A book he said also had an impact? The Count of Monte Cristo.
Arthur said he is currently serving a 25 year sentence. He mostly read what he called, “hood books” - or urban fiction, a genre focusing on the harsh realities of urban life. It was either that or law books.
Then he saw people participating with Freedom Reads and noticed their transformations.
“Just seeing them doing things, I wanted to participate, just to see what was going on and how it changed their lives,” he said.
