In the "land of the free,” the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, but the people behind bars are more than just inmate numbers.

In a unique poetry reading, Poet Ambassadors from the Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop will read poetry they wrote while incarcerated in the D.C. jail or federal prisons across the country. Their words reveal the human costs of imprisonment and the power of poetry to provide a voice and offer healing. For more info, go to freemindsbookclub.org.

This event is part of the Takoma Park Arts cultural series, including free film screenings, poetry readings, concerts, theater performances, and art exhibitions at the Takoma Park Community Center. Go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.