A Celebration of Books,
Writers & LIterary Excellence

Save the Date


Gaithersburg
Book Festival

May 16, 2026

10am – 6pm

Bohrer Park


Dr. Stanley Andrisse

Featured Title: Breaking Chains, Building Futures: Pathways to Redemption, Education, and Excellence
Breaking Chains, Building Futures: Pathways to Redemption, Education, and Excellence

Explore the realities of life behind and beyond bars through a collection of compelling, first-hand stories

In Breaking Chains, Building Futures: Pathways to Redemption, Education, and Excellence, activist and endocrinologist Dr. Stanley Andrisse brings together a profoundly moving collection of first-hand accounts from individuals impacted by various lengths of incarceration. This powerful book sheds light on the struggles, triumphs, and enduring hope of people navigating life under the weight of harsh prison sentences and the daunting challenges of reentry.

Through these authentic stories, you’ll witness the raw humanity of life behind bars and the determination of those striving to reclaim their futures. Meet inspiring individuals like:

  • Oswald Newbold, sentenced to life at 20 after growing up with teenage parents battling addiction.
  • William Freeman, who spent over two decades serving a life without parole sentence.
  • Desiree Riley, a Black mother whose story highlights the intersection of race, gender, and parental incarceration.

Dr. Andrisse also shares his personal journey from incarceration to becoming a scientist and leading Prison to Professionals (P2P), a nonprofit empowering justice-impacted individuals to pursue higher education and redefine success. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the human impact of criminal sentencing and incarceration. Breaking Chains, Building Futures is more than a chronicle of hardship―it’s a testament to courage, resilience, and the unyielding pursuit of a better tomorrow.

About Dr. Stanley Andrisse

Stanley Andrisse, M.B.A., Ph.D., is a formerly incarcerated person who transformed his life from prison to becoming a tenured endocrinology professor at Howard University College of Medicine. He is the executive director of From Prison Cells to PhD (P2P), a national nonprofit creating pathways to higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Dr. Andrisse is the author of “From Prison Cells to PhD: It Is Never Too Late to Do Good” (2021) and “Breaking Chains, Building Futures: Pathways to Redemption, Education, and Excellence” (2024). He speaks internationally on redemption, equity, second chances, and expanding opportunity for marginalized communities.

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