The numbers don’t lie. In the United States, literacy rates and incarceration statistics paint a grim picture—one that disproportionately affects marginalized communities. According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 21% of adults in the U.S. struggle with basic reading skills. Among incarcerated individuals, the numbers are even more shocking: 75% of state prison inmates lack proficient literacy skills. And let’s be clear—white Americans make up the largest share of the prison population by sheer numbers, yet Black and Brown individuals are disproportionately targeted, funneled into the system from an early age through the racist school-to-prison pipeline.
As a Black, gay man who found salvation in reading, writing, and the arts, I know firsthand how easily circumstances could have taken me down a different path. What saved me? Words. Stories. The ability to express myself beyond the limits of what society dictated. And that’s exactly why I’m using my latest work, Deep & Raw: The Erotica of Martone, to give back to those who have been systematically locked away and left to rot.
I have partnered with LGBT Books to Prisoners, an organization that provides free, affirming literature to incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals, to ensure that access to books—and, by extension, hope—is not a privilege but a right. A portion of the proceeds from Deep & Raw will go directly toward this vital work because education, self-expression, and representation matter—especially behind bars.
The School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Rigged System
Let’s talk about the real issue at hand: the U.S. education system is failing students—particularly Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ youth—by criminalizing them instead of educating them. Schools in underfunded districts rely heavily on harsh disciplinary measures that disproportionately punish marginalized students, pushing them out of classrooms and into juvenile detention centers at alarming rates. Once they’ve entered the system, the odds of breaking free are stacked against them.
Here’s what the statistics tell us:
Black students are nearly four times more likely to be suspended than white students.
LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in juvenile detention centers, with an estimated 20% of incarcerated youth identifying as LGBTQ+, compared to just 7-9% in the general population.
85% of all juveniles who come into contact with the court system are functionally illiterate.
These aren’t just numbers; they’re lives. Lives that could have taken a different path if they had access to books, guidance, and a system that saw them as more than just potential criminals. This is why LGBT Books to Prisoners is so essential—it disrupts this brutal cycle by providing education and empowerment to those the system has written off.
Deep & Raw: More Than Erotica—A Statement of Defiance
Some might ask, why donate proceeds from an erotica book to a prison literacy program? The answer is simple: literature in all forms is a vehicle for liberation. Deep & Raw is about breaking taboos, embracing identity, and refusing to be silenced. Just as queer people have been forced to fight for representation in media, LGBTQ+ individuals in prison are fighting for the most basic form of dignity: the right to read books that reflect their experiences.
Representation isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. When LGBTQ+ prisoners receive books that affirm who they are, it reminds them that their identities are valid, their desires are real, and they are more than just a DOC number. They are human beings who deserve respect, connection, and the ability to dream beyond prison walls.
How You Can Help
This partnership is about more than just a book release—it’s about action. Every pre-order of Deep & Raw: The Erotica of Martone contributes to this mission. But the fight doesn’t stop there. Here’s how you can get involved:
Pre-order the book and spread the word about this collaboration.
Donate directly to LGBT Books to Prisoners to help fund more books and resources.
Educate yourself on the realities of the prison-industrial complex and the school-to-prison pipeline.
It’s time we stop pretending that mass incarceration is just about crime. It’s about control. It’s about stripping away education, autonomy, and dignity—especially from those who don’t fit the mold of straight, white America. But we have the power to push back.
Reading saved my life. Now, let’s use the power of books to save others.
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