Transforming Lives Through Literature, Dialogue, and Human Connection
Reading Between the Lines® empowers incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals through literature and thought-provoking dialogue that develops critical thinking, communication, and self-reflection to assist successful reentry.
Why Reading Between the Lines Matters
Many reentry programs address essential needs such as employment, housing, and education. Reading Between the Lines® focuses on something equally important: how people think.
Through thoughtful engagement with powerful literature, RBL promotes cognitive behavioral transformation helping incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals examine their choices, challenge harmful thought patterns, strengthen critical-thinking and communication skills, and imagine new possibilities for their lives. Because successful reentry begins not only with access to opportunity, but with a transformed mind prepared to embrace it.
A brief explanation of the challenge:
Many reentry programs focus on employment and housing.
RBL addresses something equally important: How people think.
"Reading Between The Lines has gifted me with the ability to connect with others and express myself in ways I never knew how to before. This made me a little more confident with myself and more humble" participant quote
AT A GLANCE
Through the power of literature and meaningful dialogue, Reading Between the Lines® is transforming how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals think, communicate, and envision their futures. The following snapshot highlights the growing reach and impact of our work.
Impact Snapshot
# of Participants Engaged since RBL’s inception: 1,634
# of Sessions Facilitated since RBL’s inception: 638
# of Volunteer Facilitators since RBL’s inception: 15
# of Partner Sites since RBL’s inception: 5
# of Literary Works read since RBL’s inception: 630
Participant Story: Emmanuel Garcia
“My name is Emmanuel Garcia. I spent six and a half years incarcerated in Cook County Jail, and programs like Reading Between the Lines helped me develop myself from the inside out. Through poetry and other readings, it helped me develop critical thinking and problem‑solving skills that allowed me to analyze my experiences in new ways. I started as a participant, grew into a facilitator while still inside, and today — now free — I continue to return to Cook County Jail to guide others. This program taught me how to live differently.”
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
