PHOENIX — A former Arizona corrections officer who saw firsthand how books could change the course of an inmate’s day — and sometimes their outlook — has left her job to bring that impact to more people behind bars.
Christine Calabrese, once celebrated by the Arizona Department of Corrections for starting a book club inside the facility where she worked, realized the idea had the potential to reach far beyond a single housing unit, ABC 15 Arizona reports. What began as a small effort to help inmates find purpose through reading has now grown into her new mission: launching the EmBOSSed Book Club as a nonprofit organization.
Calabrese said she hopes the program will give incarcerated individuals a productive way to spend their time while also encouraging personal growth through the lessons found in literature.
As she waits for the nonprofit status to be finalized, she’s working to expand the model to prisons across Arizona and, eventually, the country, ABC 15 Arizona reports.
Her goal is simple, she said — to put meaningful books into the hands of people who need them most and to help them build a sense of direction they may not have found otherwise.
