Women, Writing, and Prison

This powerful volume is the best possible portal for approaching the vital impact of the word in the context of incarceration.  The voices of advocates, activists, academics—and, most brilliantly, the voices of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women—deploy astonishing and effective languages of clarity, truth, and justice.  The rational passion on these pages is startling and unforgettable. -- Rickie Solinger, author of "Reproductive Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know" and co-editor of "Interrupted Life: Experiences of Incarcerated Women in the U.S."
This book provides glimpses of prison life that most of us would not otherwise know. As the women write, thoughts guarded so closely come spilling out upon the page. They invite us into their worlds to see them as human beings with human issues they are trying to resolve. I was moved by the beauty of their poetry and the poignancy of their life stories. -- Maureen McCormack, Ph.D., pioneered the Ira Progoff Intensive Journal® workshops in prisons and jails across the US
These writings undermine the very foundation of our nightmarish and shameful prison system. Like crews boring a tunnel from opposite ends, the writers from inside and outside meet in the middle with affirmations of life and humanity that offer a potent antidote to the deathly cruelties of the American gulag. And because the vast majority of women prisoners are incarcerated for non-violent crimes of poverty, this volume exposes the fundamental assumptions of the American criminal justice system as instruments of brutal class control. -- Bruce Franklin, John Cotton Dana Distinguished Professor of English and American Studies at Rutgers University, Newark; author, “Prison Literature in America: The Victim as Criminal and Artist.”
A moving, sometimes unsettling, account of women caught within the prison industrial complex. Weaving together the voices of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, community activists, and academics, this innovative anthology reminds us why writing matters. -- Patrick W. Berry, Syracuse University
Women, Writing & Prison is the deepest and most helpful book I’ve read about teaching the arts inside prison walls. The authors tackle the complex challenges of working within a criminal justice system that by its very nature brutalizes those who are locked into it. The women’s stories, and those of the teachers/activists who work with them, remind us that writing is a pathway to freedom within—a practice that affirms our humanity and reassures us that not only do we exist, but also, we have wings to fly.  -- Kathryn Watterson, a.k.a. Kitsi Burkhart, author, “Women in Prison: Inside the Concrete Womb,” lecturer, creative writing, University of Pennsylvania
This invaluable book shines a bright light on the harsh reality of women in prison, some of the most forgotten people in our country today. Languishing year after year locked away from society with few opportunities to express themselves, most have little opportunity to expand their minds, to grow and appreciate themselves as individuals. Writing and reflection through sharing poetry, prose and their deepest dreams in a safe and supportive group is a powerful form of restorative justice. When women acknowledge their truths and resist the dehumanizing experience of prison, it is possible for them to come to terms with their tangled past and painful present. Programs such as those described should be required in every jail and prison. Such healing innovations can make the difference to untold numbers of people caught in the United States web of incarceration. -- Susan Spangler Hendricks, LISW-CP, CJT, group therapy leader, Camille Griffin Graham Maximum Security Prison, Columbia, South Carolina, 2005-2012
A brilliant and necessary book bringing the voices of women in prison to the forefront.  Not only do we witness the writings of the women, but also the writings of those teachers, scholars, and activists who share their experiences and awaken our hearts.  This collection is astounding, igniting our moral passion and a must read for all of us. -- JoAnn Flynn, M.Ed., CPT, Connecticut Teaching Artist and Poetry Therapist