Launch announcement caption

• It’s officially Read Banned People Week!

• For the first time, it’s Read Banned People Week, launched by Crime & Compassion Inc. 

• Celebrate incarcerated voices with Read Banned People Week, from Crime & Compassion Inc. 

“What is Read Banned People Week?” caption

• What exactly is Read Banned People Week? A celebration of literature written by those who were written off. During October 4–10, lift up silenced voices by reading books written by the incarcerated. When you choose to read banned people, you’re choosing to give them hope. 

Why it matters / educational caption

• In America, thousands of books have been removed from public school classrooms and libraries. Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 book bans in public schools—a staggering number. Now imagine being an incarcerated writer. For most incarcerated people, their voices are never heard. But Crime & Compassion Inc. is changing that with Read Banned People Week on October 4–10. For the first time, you can celebrate incarcerated voices by reading and supporting their literature. 

  • Stat from https://pen.org/banned-books-list-2026/ 

“Meet a banned/challenged author” caption

• The Sentences That Create Us by PEN America and edited by Caits Meissner — Banned in Florida prisons — In April 2022, Florida’s Literature Review Committee banned the anthology as a threat to security: “Otherwise presents a threat to the security, order, or rehabilitative objectives of the correctional system or the safety of any person.” There was not an explanation for why this creative writing anthology would threaten their security.

  • Source: https://pen.org/report/reading-between-the-bars/ 

• Paradise by Toni Morrison — Banned in Texas prisons because, according to the letter sent to Morrison, Paradise “contains material that a reasonable person would construe as written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve a breakdown of prisons through inmate disruption such as strikes or riots.” She framed the letter and hung it up in her home. 

  • Source: https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/paradise-in-texas-prisons/ 

Event reminder

• Don’t forget: Read Banned People Week starts this Sunday, October 4 through Saturday, October 10. 

Week-of kickoff

• It’s time for the first-ever Read Banned People Week! Crime & Compassion Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Oklahoma, wants you to read literature written by those who were written off. 

Midweek post

• Read Banned People Week is ending on a high note! Be sure to stop by [bookstore name] on [bookstore date] to participate in a community raffle benefiting this Crime & Compassion Inc.’s writing, mentorship, and publication programs inside the women’s prison.

Final-day / wrap-up post

• Let’s finish up strong! Read Banned People Week will conclude at [bookstore] on [date]. Buy a T-shirt, read a book, and celebrate incarcerated voices. You are making a difference in the lives of incarcerated people with your support. 

Call-to-action post

• Read banned literature, support silenced voices. Come lift up incarcerated literature during Read Banned Book Week.

Thank-you / recap post

• Thank you so much to everyone who helped make Read Banned People Week a success! You bought books written by banned people, preordered READ BANNED PEOPLE T-shirts, and donated to Crime & Compassion Inc., a 501(c(3) nonprofit that teaches the incarcerated how to write fiction. Thank you also to [bookstore names list] for being a part of this community-wide event. 

Instagram Story text

• Celebrate Read Banned People Week with me! 

• Lift up incarcerated voices during Read Banned People Week.

• Read banned people, support incarcerated voices.

Social taglines/headlines:

• Read Banned People.

• Read the people they tried to silence.

• Read their words. Hear their stories.

• This October, read banned people.

• Some people are banned from books. Some people are banned from being heard. And sometimes, the same system does both.