With plenty of time on their hands, incarcerated inmates need a chance to be able to express themselves in a healthy and creative way. The Prison Writing Program, founded in 1971, works across the country to help bring pen, paper and instruction to hundreds of inmates willing to put their thoughts down on paper. The
Select prisoners inside the compound of San Quentin State Prison can often be seen tending the 1,200 square foot organic flower garden within the medium-security yard. This is made possible by the Insight Garden Program in collaboration with San Quentin State Prison. The Insight Garden Program also teaches inmates hands-on classes that include landscaping, gardening,
Creating art while incarcerated in prison greatly fills the need for self-expression that is sorely missed by prisoners. Many believe that art satisfies an individual’s need for creativity, self-expression, recognition, and self-respect. In 1977, a pilot project called the William James Association Prison Arts Project was begun at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California,
On September 28th, 2012, Governor Jerry Brown of California has finally signed AB 2530, which is a bill that bans shackling of pregnant women in California’s state prisons, juvenile detention facilities and county jails. For years, pregnant women who are incarcerated, have had to wear chains around their pregnant bellies while appearing in court, shackles
The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. And the largest growing population within US prisons are people of color. Some theorize that this has become “The New Jim Crow.” In February 2012, Matthew Pillischer directed a movie titled, “Broken On All Sides,” which is a documentary whose focus
Please take a moment to read these sobering facts about women in the criminal justice system: (Women’s Prison Association, 2009) These are some pretty serious and heavy numbers and women in prison are very often an overlooked part of the prison population. And a group of filmmakers have decided to try and make these women’s
Incarcerated youth often have open minds that can become closed down by a lack of literary stimulation while in prison. The mission of Free Minds – Book Club & Writing Workshop is to introduce young inmates to how powerful books and creative writing can be and how writing can express emotions and put into words
As an incarcerated prisoner, it can be hard to have your voice heard. Many prisoners have stories to share that can help others who may be incarcerated or in abusive relationships, or even at-risk youth. When hearing these stories, we are often struck by the amount of courage these folks have to preserve through such
The art of letter writing and sending out mail with a beautiful stamp may be a bit old-fashioned, yet it is still a lovely way to communicate. The Prison Library Project is honoring this tradition by having a mail art exhibition in October 2012 and is inviting inmates, families, and those who look to improve
Think about a new way of looking at prison rehabilitation – one that focuses on healing. This is called Restorative Justice. Current prison rehabilitation focuses on punishment, race class discrimination, and creating a non-healing environment. Restorative Justice works and focuses on healing the inmates and working on restoring losses by allowing prisoners to take responsibility