Author to Speak at Carleton College on her Journey from a Life of Crime to an Award-Winning Journalist, on a Quest for Prison Re

Patrice Gaines, celebrated journalist and former reporter for the Washington Post, battled a turbulent existence fraught with abusive relationships, heroin addiction, arrests, and incarceration before she embarked on a contemplative journey to change. Gaines will share her powerful story and research findings in a convocation titled “How We Can All Be Free: Prison Reform in the 21st Century” at 10:50 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 in the Skinner Memorial Chapel on the Carleton College campus. Following her presentation, Gaines will sign copies of her acclaimed books, Moments of Grace: Meeting the Challenge to Change and Laughing in the Dark: From Colored Girl to Woman of Color- A Journey from Prison to Power, which will be available for purchase at the event and in advance at a 15% discount at the Carleton College Bookstore. This event is free and open to the public.

After an arrest and incarceration for drug possession, Gaines developed a passion for creative writing, and was eventually selected for a national journalism education program that jumpstarted her successful career in journalism. She spent 16 years as a reporter for the normal">Washington Post, where she garnered national attention for her investigation of a 1985 murder trial in which eight young black men received a 35-year prison sentence on questionable grounds. Gaines’ work on the story raised serious doubts about the guilt of the youths, and shed light on the power wielded by police, prosecutors, and the high rate of incarceration among minorities and the poor.

Her personal experience with the judicial and penal systems sparked her interest in the exploration of corrupt police practices and persuasive press that unjustly shape the legal system. Gaines outlined her path to change in her inspirational books Moments of Grace: Meeting the Challenge to Change (Three Rivers Press, 1998) and Laughing in the Dark: From Colored Girl to Woman of Color- A Journey from Prison to Power (Anchor, 1995). Her compelling story and research earned Gaines exposure on normal">The Oprah Winfrey Show and Dateline, and coverage in numerous publications. She currently works as a freelance journalist, writing teacher, and motivational speaker, sharing her story at rehabilitation institutions, prisons, and colleges around the country. Gaines strives to drastically change the United States judicial system and prison industry, and eventually redefine “justice” in America.

The Skinner Memorial Chapel is located on the Carleton College campus on First Street between College and Winona Streets in Northfield. For more information regarding the convocation and disability accommodations, please contact the Carleton Office of College Relations at (507) 222-4309. For questions about the booksigning, please contact the Carleton College Bookstore at (507) 222-4153.