On September 15, the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center received a donation of more than 1,000 books to start its new Freedom Libraries. The national non-profit organization Freedom Reads provided these books as part of its mission to bring literature into detention facilities across the United States. This marks the first time a county-level facility in the country has received a Freedom Reads donation.
Commissioner Jonathan Young, who serves as liaison to the Juvenile Detention Center, expressed appreciation for the contribution. “We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation of Freedom Libraries, complete with over 1,000 books, to our Juvenile Detention Center,” Young said. “These libraries will give our young residents the chance to explore their interests, grow, and build a foundation for making positive choices that ultimately reduce recidivism.”
Freedom Reads was founded by Reginald Dwayne Betts after his own experience with incarceration as a teenager. He explained how reading impacted his life and shaped his goals for the organization. “I went to prison when I was 16 years old. Books saved my life and helped me realize I wanted to become a writer,” Betts said. “Now, my goal as the Founder of Freedom Reads is to bring books to others in the hope of providing joy, hope, and the possibility of transformation. As I always say, freedom begins with a book.”
The Camden County Juvenile Detention Center operates on Lakeland Campus outside Blackwood, New Jersey. It houses youth from Camden County accused of delinquent behavior while they await action by Family Court.
Photos related to this event are available at https://www.camdencounty.com/camden-county-partners-with-freedom-reads-to-bring-libraries-to-juvenile-detention-center/.
