By Michele Evans
NYWeeklyRecord.com
8/3/2026
Categories: Rikers Island • Criminal Justice • Rehabilitation • Women in Jail • Community
BRONX, N.Y. – Inside the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island, a nonprofit organization is using books and creative writing to create something many incarcerated women rarely experience behind jail walls: connection.
Rosebuds Reading Collective brings book clubs, author visits, and creative writing workshops to women housed at the city’s only jail for women. Organizers say the goal is to build community, encourage self-expression, and provide access to literature during one of the most difficult periods of participants’ lives.
The program was founded by CEO Nora Fried after she discovered the transformative impact books had during a challenging chapter of her own life. Wanting to bring that same opportunity to women in custody, she launched what began as a small reading group of six participants.
Today, the organization serves more than 30 women during each session across multiple housing units inside the Rose M. Singer Center.
Actress and bestselling author Julia Fox serves as the nonprofit’s creative director and co-founder. Another founding partner, Afrika Owes, brings firsthand experience to the mission after previously being incarcerated at the Rose M. Singer Center herself.
Together, the founders have built a program centered on storytelling, discussion, and creative expression – giving participants an opportunity to reflect on their experiences while engaging with literature and one another.
Programs like Rosebuds Reading Collective highlight an often-overlooked aspect of incarceration: rehabilitation extends beyond security and supervision. Educational opportunities, creative outlets, and positive social connections have long been recognized as important components of successful reentry and personal growth.
For women at Rikers Island, many of whom have experienced trauma, domestic violence, substance use disorders, or mental health challenges, spaces that encourage healing and self-expression can provide meaningful support while they navigate incarceration.
While no single program can solve the systemic challenges facing New York City’s jail system, initiatives that promote literacy, creativity, and community demonstrate one way organizations are working to improve the daily lives of people in custody.
Rosebuds Reading Collective is funded through private donations and hopes to expand its programming to additional correctional facilities in the future.
As debates continue over the future of Rikers Island and broader criminal justice reform, programs like this serve as a reminder that rehabilitation often begins with something as simple as opening a book and giving someone the opportunity to write the next chapter of their own story.
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