Reginald Dwayne Betts: A Voice for the Incarcerated

Reginald Dwayne Betts’ story is a testament to the power of the human spirit to survive – and even thrive – through extraordinary adversity. In this deeply compelling episode of The Thread, Betts displays the quiet eloquence that makes him one of the nation’s most acclaimed poets. Arrested at 16 in inner city Baltimore for the first crime he ever committed, a carjacking where no one was physically injured, this honor student was sentenced to nine years in prison. Rather than let the worst day of his life define him, Betts drew on an inner strength becoming a prolific poet in prison, earning a law degree from Yale and becoming a national advocate for the rights of the incarcerated. Reginald Dwayne Betts’ story of hope in the face of despair is one that you will not soon forget.