PEN America Works of Justice

In November 2023, Coffee House Press released American Precarite: Parables of Exclusion, an anthology of essays edited by a collective of incarcerated writers involved in the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. The volume interrogates the complexity and fluidity of class and caste systems in the United States, and includes transcribed conversations of the editors discussing each essay. In the latest Works of Justice podcast, two of the editors, C. Fausto Cabrera and Zeke Caligiuri, talk about how they developed a friendship rooted in writing while incarcerated, what they did to bring writing programs into Minnesota prisons, and the history of how the volume came to be.

Theater harnesses the power to both break worlds down, and build worlds of our choosing. As a performer and a former community engagement specialist for a Washington, D.C-based theater, artist and scholar Lisa Biggs has seen this happen several times across many places. As a graduate student, Biggs chose the discipline of ethnography to study the work of nonprofits who provide theater and performance-based programs in women's prisons in the United States and South Africa. The book produced from that research, The Healing Stage: Black Women, Incarceration, and the Art of Transformation (Ohio State University Press, 2022), is a thoughtful reflection on how mass incarceration affects Black women and the means by which they process their past and their experience with the criminal justice system. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Malcolm Tariq, senior editorial manager of PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing Program, speaks with Biggs about her process of working with theater programs in prison, and how these groups cultivate healing spaces for Black women.

This month marks the three-year anniversary of the exoneration of Lacino Hamilton, who was falsely incarcerated for the murder of his foster mother at the age of 19. Sentenced to at least 50 years in prison, Hamilton spent 26 years maintaining his innocence and was exonerated by DNA evidence in September 2023. While in prison, Hamilton wrote countless letters advocating for his release and published widely on his experience of incarceration and injustice. A collection of those letters has recently been published as In Spite of the Consequences: Prison Letters on Exoneration, Abolition, and Freedom (Broadleaf Books, 2023), and includes Hamilton's communications with family, friends, professors, journalists, lawyers, and international pen pals he has never met. More than dispelling the realities of life in prison, the book is an offering of Hamilton's profound intellectual engagement with matters of justice and the carceral state.   In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Prison and Justice Writing Program Assistant Jess Abolafia speaks with Hamilton on his journey as a writer and the intentionality of language in writing about incarceration.

How far would you go for forgiveness? This is the question stamped on the cover of Forgive Me Not (Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin, 2023), the debut young adult novel by Jennifer Baker. The novel follows two siblings navigating the growing pains of high school and young adulthood. This comes to a head when Violetta gets drunk and gets behind the wheel of a car, killing her younger sister. As a minor, Violetta is presented with two options: to undergo sentencing and serve time in detention, or participate in The Trials to prove her remorse and willingness to learn from her mistakes. While Violetta is away, her star-athlete brother, Vince, faces his own obstacles with the pressures of school, relationships, and drug use while dealing with the recent family crisis. Individually, the two learn about the expansiveness of accountability and forgiveness. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Malcolm Tariq, senior manager of editorial projects, speaks with Baker on restorative justice, her experience researching the criminal justice system, and writing for young adults. Jennifer Baker is a publishing professional of 20 years, the creator/host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast, and a faculty member of the MFA program in Creative Nonfiction at Bay Path University and a writing consultant at Baruch College. Formerly a contributing editor to Electric Literature, she received a 2017 NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship and a Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant for Nonfiction Literature. Her essay "What We Aren't (or the Ongoing Divide)" was listed as a Notable Essay in The Best American Essays 2018. In 2019, she was named Publishers Weekly Superstar for her contributions to inclusion and representation in publishing. Jennifer is also the editor of the all PoC-short story anthology Everyday People: The Color of Life (Atria Books, 2018) and the author of the forthcoming YA novel Forgive Me Not (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023). She has volunteered with organizations such as We Need Diverse Books and I, Too Arts Collective, and spoken widely on topics of inclusion, the craft of writing/editing, podcasting, and the inner-workings of the publishing industry. Her fiction, nonfiction, and criticism has appeared in various print and online publications. Her website is: Jennifernbaker.com.

In Beethoven's 1805 opera Fidelio, a man who has been wrongly imprisoned, and his wife must bring him justice. More than two centuries later, Heartbeat Opera breathes new life into the opera by confronting contemporary challenges with anti-Blackness and incarceration in the United States in their 2018 adaptation of the opera. In this reimagining, the main character is a Black Lives Matter activist who has been placed in solitary confinement. The opera follows his wife's attempts to rescue him. But Heartbeat Opera not only raises important questions about the criminal justice system, its creative team brings the reality of it to the stage. Immersed throughout the production are recordings of more than 100 incarcerated singers and 70 volunteers from six prison choirs: Oakdale Community Choir, KUJI Men's Chorus, UBUNTU Men's Chorus, HOPE Thru Harmony Women's Choir, East Hill Singers, and Voices of Hope. In February 2022, Heartbeat Opera's Fidelio was remounted and recorded at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Sierra Santiago, PEN America Prison and Justice Writing intern, speaks with director/adaptor Ethan Heard and co-book writer Marcus Scott about the evolution of developing Fidelio for the stage, and the process of incorporating incarcerated musicians in the production.

In January 2023, people incarcerated throughout the state of Texas organized a collective hunger strike to demand better living conditions. A couple years prior, Canada native Damascus James had relocated to Texas from New York City, and began to write letters to incarcerated people in the state in order to develop connections with isolated communities. From his initial correspondence with one writer, James got connected with several people, including many who had been placed in solitary confinement for years. The letters he received multiplied as word spread within the prison systems, with people reaching out to share their experiences with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and other personal stories. From these letters, James developed TEXAS LETTERS, an anthology series of letters penned by individuals in Texas living in solitary confinement.  In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Malcolm Tariq, senior manager of editorial projects, speaks with James about his inspiration to start the project, his process of compiling the first volume of the series, and what he has learned from developing friendships with one of the nation's most vulnerable populations.

Ask Tommy Trantino to describe himself, and he may simply respond, “endless.” Ask him the same question on another day, and the answer will be different. For Trantino, it's complicated. Officially, he writes, draws, and paints. But he also loves to make people laugh, and his mission is to do as much good as possible. Incarcerated for nearly 40 years in New Jersey, the New York City native was placed on death row in 1963 before his sentence was commuted to life once the death penalty became illegal in the early 1970s. During those years in Trenton State Prison's Death House, Trantino was inspired to start painting, and eventually found his way to writing. Among several attempts to get him released, his supporters collected some of his work for a book, published by Knopf in 1974 as Lock the Lock. Long out of print, Lock the Lock is a constellation of Trantino's artistry, but it is also an introduction for how he experienced the world on death row. Nearly half a century later, the same rings true. Trantino's zest for life and goodwill guides his creative process much in the same way that his defiance and activism led him to survive incarceration. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Jess Abolafia, program assistant, and Malcolm Tariq, senior manager of editorial projects—both of PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing Program—speak with Trantino about his time organizing inside prison, how he started making art, and the production of Lock the Lock. In her accompanying introduction to the podcast, Abolafia gives more context on Trantino's background and describes how their first meeting led to an ongoing creative partnership.

A few years ago, Tracy D. Schlapp and Danny J. Wilson were inspired by Johnny Cash's album, At Folsom Prison (1968), to stage concerts of Cash's music in prisons around Oregon. Schlapp and Wilson's performances blossomed into Bridgeworks Oregon, a Portland-based nonprofit with the mission of using art, music and cultural awareness to bridge societal divisions throughout the state. In May 2019, the organization assembled a storytelling group, Ground Beneath Us, at Oregon State Penitentiary. The group of men wrote about life inside by responding to questions posed by local middle and high school students. The work from those writing sessions grew into the recently released anthology, Prisons Have a Long Memory: Life Inside Oregon's Oldest Prison, featuring poetry, essays, and memoir. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Moira Marquis, senior manager of the Freewrite Project for PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing Program, asks Schlapp and Wilson about the history of Bridgeworks Oregon, their experiences learning how to advocate for incarcerated people, and their process for working between the walls for the anthology. In her accompanying review of the book, Marquis reflects on the intensity of the collected pieces, and the importance of providing reflective spaces that acknowledge and engage the emotional tolls of life for people who are denied so many rights in the carceral system in the United States.

For over 50 years, the Southern California Library has made history a practice. Housing an extensive collection of histories of community resistance in Los Angeles and beyond, the library also serves as a community organization. Though he grew up not too far from the library, anthropologist Damien M. Sojoyner only learned it existed as an adult. When asked to help develop programs and teach a summer course for youth in the area, Sojoyner met Marley, a high school student whose vocal opinions caught the ethnographer's attention. Through Marley, Sojoyner learned and observed how Marley and the young people in the area were caring for their community, resisting policing and patrolling of their neighborhood, and confronting the injustices of the criminal justice system. Sojoyner's recent book, Joy and Pain: A Story of Black Life and Liberation in Five Albums (University of California Press, 2022), documents Damien's conversations with Marley across five “albums” centered on housing, education, health care, social services, and juvenile detention. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Malcolm Tariq, senior manager of editorial projects for PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing, asks Sojoyner about his approach to ethnography, the ethics of constructing someone else's narratives, and the history of resistance in gang culture.

The New York Women's House of Detention was a fixture of Greenwich Village from 1932 to 1974. For public historian Hugh Ryan, its position as a cultural center is proof that jails and prisons were not always peripheral to the development of communities in the United States. In fact, they were sometimes considered in the urban planning of cities and neighborhoods. Ryan discovered the Women's House of Detention (also known as The House of D) on a walking tour, where he also learned of its unfamiliar history as a queer landmark. His curiosity unearthed a plethora of evidence verifying this claim, largely drawn from social worker documentation of the queer experiences of justice-involved youth and working-class people throughout the twentieth century. In his recent book, The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison (Bold Type Books, 2022), Ryan asserts: "The House of D helped make Greenwich Village queer, and the Village, in return, helped define queerness for America. No other prison has played such a significant role in our history, particularly for working-class women and transmasculine people." Ryan also demonstrates how people housed at the institution, such as notable activists Angela Davis and Afeni Shakur, informed each other about the intersections of Black and queer liberation movements. In this episode, Malcolm Tariq, senior manager of editorial projects for PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing, asks Ryan about being a student of abolition, the ethics of constructing narratives from archives, and how people in the House of Detention participated in the resistance efforts at nearby Stonewall in 1969. Hugh Ryan is a writer and curator, and most recently, the author of The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison, which New York Magazine called one of the best books of 2022. His first book, When Brooklyn Was Queer, won a 2020 New York City Book Award, was a New York Times Editors' Choice in 2019, and was a finalist for the Randy Shilts and Lambda Literary Awards. He was honored with the 2020 Allan Berube Prize from the American Historical Association. Since 2019, he has worked with the NYC Dept. of Education to develop LGBTQ+ inclusive educational materials and trainings. Malcolm Tariq is a poet and playwright from Savannah, Georgia. He is the author of Heed the Hollow (Graywolf, 2020), winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and the 2020 Georgia Author of the Year Award in Poetry, and Extended Play (Gertrude Press, 2017). He was a 2016-2017 playwriting apprentice at Horizon Theatre Company and a 2020-2021 resident playwright with Liberation Theatre Company. A graduate of Emory University, Malcolm holds a PhD in English from the University of Michigan. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he is the senior manager of editorial projects for Prison and Justice Writing at PEN America.

In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Malcolm Tariq, senior manager of editorial projects for PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing, speaks with Celes Tisdale about the recent reissue of his anthology, When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal (Duke University Press, 2022), originally published as Betcha' Ain't: Attica Poems (Broadside Press, 1974). Tisdale talks about his approach to teaching poetry, the process of editing the volume, and the importance of remembering the 1971 uprising through poems. He 1also shares gems of his life as a stage actor and television host, including a heartwarming story on meeting Muhammad Ali.

With When They Tell You To Be Good (Tin House, 2022), Prince Shakur delivers a political coming of age memoir on growing up as a queer child in a Jamaican family, and his development as a radical organizer, traveler, and writer. As he spends pivotal years in his twenties traveling and participating in movements such as Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock, Shakur carries the experiences of growing up with a father murdered early in his life, and an incarcerated stepfather. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, Nicole Shawan Junior, deputy director of PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing, speaks with Shakur about the process of writing and editing his book, outlaw masculinity, and how incarceration interrupts family dynamics.

In The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Philosophy (Picador, 2022), Andy West writes about his experiences teaching philosophy in prisons in the United Kingdom. A touching memoir of hope and healing, The Life Inside chronicles how West asks his students challenging questions about life that also get him to reconsider the deep-seeded traumas and guilt he's been carrying for years. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, PEN America Postgraduate Fellow Sophia Ramirez talks with West about incarceration in the UK, what led him to write the book, and his approach to writing about and for people who are incarcerated.

In Bending the Arc: My Journey from Prison to Politics (Seal Books, 2021), Keeda J. Haynes pulls back the veil on what happens in the criminal legal system. In a series of events, Haynes went from working as a correctional officer in a local jail to serving time in federal prison for a crime she did not commit. Having later completed law school and served as a public defender, Haynes has the unique perspective of experiencing the system from several personal viewpoints, including that of running for Congress. In the latest episode of PEN America's Works of Justice podcast, PEN America Postgraduate Fellow Emma Stammen talks with Haynes about what inspired her to share this compelling story, working in the legal system after her incarceration, and the experience of revisiting her time in prison 18 years later.

Marlon Peterson's Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist's Freedom Song (Bold Type Books, 2021) is a poignant look at what it means to transform one's life by taking accountability. Tracing Peterson's life from his childhood in Brooklyn to his journey to becoming a writer after 10 years of incarceration, the memoir grapples with the devastating impacts of interpersonal and systemic violence. At its core, the book is one of vulnerability, love, and hope. PEN America Postgraduate Fellow Emma Stammen talks with Peterson about what inspired him to write, and how his understanding of abolition transcends the physical prison space.

PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Postgraduate Fellow Sophia Ramirez interviews legal scholar, sociologist, and social justice advocate Dorothy E. Roberts about her new book, Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World, which peels back the benevolent façade of the child welfare system, revealing the cruel and oppressive structures within. Roberts calls for the abolition of the system, advocating for community-based responses. Ramirez and Roberts discuss the child welfare system's racist origins, carceral logic, and the destruction it deals to Black families and minority communities.

PEN American Prison and Justice Writing Director Caits Meissner talks with Lincoln Center Poet-In-Residence Mahogany L. Browne about Browne's new Choreopoem, "Quilted Steele," premiering at Lincoln Center on June 13, 2022. The two discuss Browne's process for writing the choreopoem, collaboration, and caring for oneself and community while confronting and witnessing injustice.

PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Postgraduate Fellow Sophia Ramirez speaks with Derecka Purnell about her latest book, Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom. In this episode, Purnell discusses the meaning of abolition, the problem with social media activism, and what keeps us hopeful when pushing for change.

PEN America Postgraduate Fellow Emma Stammen talks with 2018-2019 Writing for Justice Fellow David Sanchez about his debut novel All Day is a Long Time—a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story encompassing addiction, mental illness, homelessness, incarceration, and sobriety.

To learn more about the importance of prison journalism and the challenges of reporting from behind bars during the COVID-19 pandemic, we spoke with Yukari Kane and Shaheen Pasha, co-founders and -executive directors of the Prison Journalism Project. In this episode, Kane and Pasha discuss the power of teaching journalism behind bars, particularly during a pandemic; the importance of integrating prison journalism into not only the larger field of journalism, but also broader conversations around criminal justice reform; the nuance of defining the genre of “prison journalism”; and the challenges of fact-checking, verification, and credibility in a space with limited access to the internet and outside sources. This podcast episode was written, hosted, and produced by Frances Keohane, with help from Caits Meissner and Robert Pollock.

In this Works of Justice episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Erika Cohn, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director and producer. Her newest documentary, "Belly of the Beast," exposes modern-day eugenics and reproductive injustice in California women's prisons. This moving and informative interview followed a private screening of the film for our Prison Writing Mentor community. Erika and Mery Concepción, Prison and Justice Writing Volunteer Coordinator, spoke about the implications of forced sterilization behind bars, how incarceration is itself a tool for eugenics and population control, and the challenges of defining consent in a space characterized by its lack of autonomy. They also discussed what it means to produce a trauma-informed film, and how to navigate and think creatively about obstacles presented by censorship and lack of access to information. This podcast episode was written and hosted by Mery Concepción and produced by Frances Keohane, with help from Caits Meissner and Robert Pollock.

In this Works of Justice episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Bruce Western, a professor of Sociology and Social Justice and codirector of the Justice Lab at Columbia University. A leader in the field of criminal justice reform, Dr. Western has conducted extensive research on various issues within mass incarceration, including reentry, the effects of fines and fees, solitary confinement, and more. During the pandemic, he has worked alongside other experts in publishing the report "Decarcerating Correctional Facilities during COVID-19", as well as the whitepaper "Recommendations for Prioritization and Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine in Prisons and Jails". In this episode, Dr. Western discussed decarceration strategies that could improve public health outcomes for all, challenges with vaccine distribution inside correctional facilities, and the importance of harboring compassion and empathy particularly in times of crisis. Hosted and produced by Nicolette Natale with support from Frances Keohane, Caits Meissner, Robert Pollock

In this episode of our Works of Justice series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Maurice Chammah, a journalist and staff writer at The Marshall Project whose reporting on the criminal justice system has been published by The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, and Mother Jones, among others. His first book, Let the Lord Sort Them, was just released. Haunting and absorbing, Let the Lord Sort Them traces the rise and fall of the death penalty in the United States by focusing on Texas as a microcosm of our country's preoccupation with capital punishment. In this interview, in addition to sharing his professional and writing trajectories through and beyond the book, Maurice spoke in depth about his experience as a Writing for Justice mentor for Fellow Thomas Bartlett Whitaker, and about how his relationship with Thomas impacted his own work. Hosted by Frances Keohane Researched, written and produced by Frances Keohane with guidance from Caits Meissner, Robert Pollock, and Stephen Fee

In Part II of our Family Through The Walls series, we meet Dunasha Payne through an intimate and moving conversation about parenting behind bars. Dunasha is an alumna of Rehabilitation Through The Arts, which provides extensive arts access behind the walls of six New York State correctional facilities. There, she proved herself a talented writer, actor, and singer. She is now the Program Coordinator of the Young Women’s Initiative at Drama Club, a non-profit organization that provides theater programming and mentorship to young, justice-involved individuals in New York City. In her current work, Dunasha pulls from her intersecting experiences—as a justice-involved woman, as a mother, and in the arts—to mentor and connect meaningfully with the young people she teaches. Hosted by Caits Meissner Researched and written by Frances Keohane and Nicolette Natale with guidance from Robert Pollock

Founder and CEO of WE GOT US NOW, a nonprofit advocacy organization that amplifies the stories of and challenges faced by children and young adults with incarcerated parents, Ebony Underwood is a leader in the fight to expand awareness of and rights for the millions who have experienced parental incarceration. In this podcast episode, Underwood speaks intimately and powerfully about her dad’s incarceration and its effects on her various and intersecting identities: advocate, social entrepreneur, actionist, daughter, and writer. She also details the impact of COVID-19 on the recent efforts of WE GOT US NOW. Hosted and produced by Nicolette Natale with support from Frances Keohane, Caits Meissner, and Robert Pollock

In this mini-Works of Justice episode, we spoke with celebrated poet Kaveh Akbar, who will be performing Terry Hedin's poem "El Reno" in our "Break Out" Event on November 17th. Terry's piece won Third Place this year in PEN America's Prison Writing Contest. Kaveh spoke honestly and poetically about the privilege and responsibility of holding another person's writing in one's own mouth, and about the importance of poetry as a tool for empathy and connection—especially in our time of unprecedented isolation and increased threats to free speech. Hosted and produced by Frances Keohane with support from Caits Meissner and Robert Pollock

To learn about how local officials within the criminal justice system can be actors—if unlikely ones—in expanding the rights of justice-involved individuals, we spoke to Lucy Lang. The former director of John Jay’s Institute for Innovation in Prosecution and a candidate in the race for Manhattan district attorney, Lang has a reputation for being a leader in reform. In this episode, she helps us understand the scope and significance of the district attorney’s work—particularly in the era of COVID-19, when the leadership of criminal justice officials is paramount in ensuring the safety of individuals behind bars and of their communities on the outside. In doing so, Lang reminds us of the importance of voting in local elections. Echoing our own mission at PEN America, Lang also speaks about the intersection of public policy and writing: how storytelling can be a tool for advocacy and empowerment. Hosted and produced by Nicolette Natale with support from Frances Keohane and Robert Pollock

Listen to The Lucas Brothers(Netflix/On Drugs, FOX/Lucas Bros Moving Co, 22 Jump Street), Keith and Kenny, two of the freshest, most dynamic faces in comedy and leaders in exposing the insidious nature of our criminal justice system. The brothers peak about their lives and engage in a Q&A with young people from POPS (Pain of the Prison System) the Club and other organizations across the country who support our underserved youth. Intro by Nicolette Natale Hosted by Robert Pollock Video at http://bit.ly/popslucasbros Read the Lucas Bros Vulture Essay at https://www.vulture.com/article/our-brother-kaizen.html

To learn more about reentry services during the pandemic, we talked to Alejo Rodriguez of Exodus Transitional Community and the Parole Preparation Project. Rodriguez was incarcerated for over 32 years and has turned his personal experiences—namely, being repeatedly denied parole because of a violent conviction—into powerful advocacy. PEN America’s summer intern Nicolette Natale talked with Rodriguez about how this discrimination is influencing decisions about who gets released during the pandemic, reentry efforts during a time of social distancing, and the overall importance of community building to end social and economic inequity.

Our society is in the middle of a radical awakening. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and the state-sanctioned killing of Black people have caused millions to rally for justice. “A STRONGER DESIRE TO LIVE” draws together a roster of powerful artists standing in to voice a tremendous series of prose, poetry, and drama works penned by award-winning incarcerated writers who have all experienced the brutal realities of what our nation calls justice. Tied together with original music by Kenyatta Emmanuel, an artist and activist who has shared his music from Sing Sing to Carnegie Hall, the program is a moving tribute to the immense—and often hidden—talent behind the walls. The live release event was in partnership with Haymarket Books and featured an original slideshow with artwork sourced from Artists at Risk Connection, Rehabilitation Through the Arts, and The Confined Arts, and invited listeners to join in a live chat. View the amazing artwork slideshow at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxPA9FWkuIM

Among the many notes of wisdom in this conversation with our Prison and Justice Writing Program Manager, Robbie Pollock, Gloria J. Browne-Marshall contextualizes the history of systematic murder of Black Americans at the hands of the law, and a offers a holistic and inciting call to action around reconciling white privilege and being in right allyship with Black Americans in this critical moment and beyond. Gloria is a valuable member of our Prison Writing Committee who holds an extensive biography that includes award-winning civil rights attorney, highly regarded author of numerous books, articles and plays, a sought after legal commentator , and Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY).

For authors whose books were slated to publish during a pandemic, like Tessie Castillo’s, that usual release process has been turned on its head. Castillo is a journalist and the author of Crimson Letters: Voices from Death Row, published by Black Rose on March 12, 2020, and co-authored by Michael J. Braxton, Lyle May, Terry Robinson and George Wilkerson; four men on death row in North Carolina. Castillo met her co-authors while conducting a journaling class. The project is a meditation on her unlikely friendship with the men—after all, classes conducted by outsiders on death row are indeed rare—and features thirty essays in the men’s own words about their experiences. We bid our outgoing Prison and Justice Intern Kate Cammell farewell with her final Works of Justice interview: a powerful conversation with Crimson Letters editor George Wilkerson about the power of storytelling and how he finds hope in his daily circumstance. Wilkerson is a PEN America Award winner for his 2018 Memoir “Limp Gray Fur.” His writing has been published in The Marshall Project, Compassion and The Upper Room. Intro by Mark Gallagher

This incredibly moving performance was the launch of the 2020 issue of CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action. Entitled “REVERB: VOICES AGAINST MASS INCARCERATION,” and inspired by Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, this issue honors the many voices that echo across time and space in protest of mass incarceration. Magazine link: https://curamag.com Video of Launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFSLqggVrd0 For this important work of student activism, Fordham University’s creative writing program partnered with PEN America’s prison writing program to curate some of the most talented incarcerated writers and social justice voices. Louise Waa'kaa'igan (11:33) Sterling Cunio greeting (15:03) Aaron Samuels reading Sterling Cunio's harrowing prose (15:47) Liza Jessie Peterson (34:52) Carlos Andrés Gómez reading B. Batchelor's poetry (42:58) Nicole Shawan Junior (50:09) Justin Hicks (1:05:51) Conclusion and Q&A (1:11:32) cohosted by Dr. Nia Witherspoon and Anaissa Gonzales intro by Mark Gallagher intro music by Orquesta Arrecife

To understand the particular challenges faced by incarcerated women during COVID 19—of whom nearly 80% are mothers, to name one glaring example—and to learn about how COVID-19 is amplifying them, we called Keri Blakinger, the first formerly incarcerated staff writer at The Marshall Project. Keri also reports for the Houston Chronicle and co-hosts their podcast Behind the Walls about criminal justice in Texas. Keri’s thorough and thoughtful reporting has led to prison reforms, including a state-level effort to get 3-D printed dentures to incarcerated communities. Read Keri's interview in PEN America's World Press Freedom Day 2020 effort: https://pen.org/local-journalist-heroes-keri-blakinger/ Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife https://pen.org/worksofjustice

To learn more about the particular challenges COVID-19 poses for incarcerated youth, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program Intern, Liz Fiore called up one of the strongest leading advocates in the juvenile justice field, Vincent Schiraldi.  With a national reputation as a fearless reformer, Vincent is currently a senior research scientist at Columbia School of Social Work and Co-Director of the Columbia Justice Lab. Previously, Vincent founded the policy think tank, the Justice Policy Institute, served as director of the juvenile corrections in Washington DC, and then as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation. Most recently Schiraldi served as Senior Advisor to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.  Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife OPEN DOORS Reality Poets "Streets Don't Love Nobody" https://youtu.be/6G3M2gUN0UE https://opendoorsnyc.org

Listen to Caits Meissner, PEN America Prison and Justice Writing’s program director, in conversation with Writing For Justice Fellow Justin Rovillos Monson for the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site’s Searchlight Series hosted by Sean Kelley. Audio courtesy of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site https://www.facebook.com/Eastern-State-Penitentiary-125028907507788/ Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife

Inside the information deserts of prison and jails, incarcerated people are often unable to locate facts-based news about both the outside world, and the changing conditions of their own lives. On this episode, Lawrence Bartley, Director of News Inside—a free publication that curates news related directly to incarcerated lives from The Marshall Project—helps us understand the challenge of news and incarceration, shares about his own efforts to address the information divide, and underscores the importance of continuing to tell stories during this challenging time. Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife Skinny Hanas - Free My Sons (Feat. JRoundz) courtesy of No Tresspassers Film ( IG @skinnyhanas https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgcodqBJ-fv4-UuidIQN2vQ )

Seeking clarity for our own small contribution to pandemic-era reporting, on Monday, April 5, 2020, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program intern Kate Cammell asked Josie Duffy Rice, President of The Appeal, and Co-Host of the Justice In America podcast, for some advice. What is journalism’s role in this historical moment? What criminal justice news items should we be looking for? And, needing it ourselves, how might we stay sane in the process of staying informed? Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife

On Friday March 27, 2020, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program intern Kate Cammell had a chance to speak with Fair and Just Prosecution’s Executive Director Miriam Krimsky and Research and Policy Associate Scarlet Neath about their recent statement—along with thirty other elected prosecutors—addressing the rights and needs of those in custody during the COVID-19 pandemic. Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife

Authoring Advocacy: Bearing Witness in an Era of Mass Incarceration What is the responsibility of writers to confront our era of mass incarceration, and how do we bear witness without assuming voyeuristic or exploitative perspectives? Featuring 2018 PEN America Writing For Justice Fellows Justin Rovillos Monson and Reginald Dwayne Betts, and Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s The Witness Program writers Roshan Abraham, Christina Olivares, & Sarah Wang. A closing conversation, moderated by Victoria Law, will explore the ethics, challenges and necessity of writing about mass incarceration from a variety of perspectives and lived experiences. The Asian American Writers’ Workshop is a national nonprofit dedicated to the belief that Asian American stories deserve to be told. Intro by Mark Gallagher Event Photos by Giselle Robledo: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmJd5bhu Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P2k2bA7E2s

Celebrating the release of the 2019 PEN America Prison Writing Awards Anthology, PEN America and The Poetry Project present an evening of exceptional work from currently incarcerated writers, staged by a series of dynamic authors, actors and activists. Part 2 of 2 Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Eric Berryman read The Letters of Madeleine L’Engle and Ahmad Rahman (00:00) Cecilia Gentili reads "Poker Face" by Heather Jarvis (17:07) Cortney Lamar Charlston reads "All Of Us, In Prison" by Jevon Jackson (38:35) Rachel Eliza Griffiths reads "As I Hear The Rain" by Douglas Weed (40:46)

Celebrating the release of the 2019 PEN America Prison Writing Awards Anthology, PEN America and The Poetry Project present an evening of exceptional work from currently incarcerated writers, staged by a series of dynamic authors, actors and activists. Part 1 of 2 Cortney Lamar Charleston reads Self Portrait As State Property by P.M. Dunne (00:20) Margo Jefferson reads “Thorazine, Haldol & Coffee: My Life in a Prison Mental Health Ward,” by Michael Kaiser (03:58) T Kira Madden reads “My Co-Worker,” Edward Ji (14:50) Shaun Leonardo reads "Geode" by David A. Pickett (15:33) Rachel Eliza Griffiths reads “Time Reversal Invariance" by David Pickett (26:55) Kevin Boone, Tamika Graham, Milton Jones, Paul Kim, and Edwin Santan perform “Never 2 Late” by John Benjamin (29:00) T Kira Madden reads "Under the Bridge" by Christiana Justice (42:15) Robert Pollock reads "Monologue" by Sean Thomas Dunne (45:41)

Presenting an ALL NEW selection from awardees of the 2019 PEN America/Edward Bunker Prize in Fiction The September 18, 2019 BREAKOUT event (https://pen.org/event/break-out-brooklyn-book-festival-19/) will feature the 2019 PEN Prison Writing Awards winners and will launch our second annual print anthology, 'As I Hear the Rain.' Listen to incredible readers bring these works to life, recorded at the Celebration of Edward Bunker event on May 30, 2019 at the Road Theatre in North Hollywood, LA. Special thanks to the Edward Bunker family. Laurie O'Brien reads 'Tetris' by James Beavers (0:17) bridgette bianca reads 'Fireside: or immaterial burns' by David Webb (6:09) Dorothy Randall Gray reads 'First World Problems' by Kevin Schaeffer (13:06) Darrel Larson reads 'The Last Time I saw Chet' by Sam Jenkins (22:09) Laurie Okin reads 'Two Birds One Stone' by Brendan Rao (37:39) Christopher Soto reads 'Rogers Park: Area 52' by Antonio Bowie Rivera (49:15) Carl Weintraub reads 'Geode' by David Pickett (58:36) Audio Credit: Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife Illustration for episode graphic by Jeremy Wilson Bios of readers https://pen.org/event/celebrating-edward-bunker/

This September, in commemoration of the Attica Riots, PEN America and The Poetry Project launch BREAK OUT: a movement to (re)integrate incarcerated writers into literary community. Throughout the month, over two dozen local reading series in New York City—and across the country—will feature the work of a currently incarcerated writer. This first-of-its-kind event series will culminate in a celebration of the 2019 PEN America Prison Writing Awards, September 18th at the Brooklyn Book Festival. Here, we share just a few of the most dynamic readings from past Breakout events: Junot Diaz reads an excerpt of 'Walla Walla IMU' by Arthur Longworth Rebecca Carroll of WNYC reads Catherine LaFleur's "Gardener's Memory" Joshua Bennett reads 'The Storm' by Edward Ji John Wray reads 'The Centaur's Son' by Burl Corbett (a Pushcart Prize nominee) Randall Horton reading 'No Moon' by Spoon Jackson Toure reads 'Beauty' by Julian Concepcion 'how to survive in prison a brief history of my first 23 years in prison' by Yvette M. Louiselle Khalil Cumberbatch reads 'When the Bombs Go Off' by Ezekiel Caligiuri Mitchell Jackson reads “Letter to My Grandnephew” by Christopher Meyers --Special thanks to the many media partners and readers who have partnered with PEN to share incarcerated writers' works with the wider literary world. https://pen.org/breakout-a-movement Audio Credit: Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife

Edward Heward Bunker (December 31, 1933 – July 19, 2005) was an American author of crime fiction, a screenwriter, and an actor. Bunker wrote numerous books— some of which have been adapted into major motion pictures featuring prominent actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight— and was a screenwriter on Straight Time (1978), Runaway Train (1985) and Animal Factory (2000). Bunker also appears on screen as an actor in a number of films, most famously as Mr. Blue in Reservoir Dogs. And like many of the writers who reach out to the PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Program, Mr. Bunker was involved with the justice system for decades before finding significant success as a writer and actor. The PEN America/Edward Bunker Prize in Fiction awards the work of a cohort of incarcerated fiction writers who show exceptional talent and merit in the genre, and honors Mr. Bunker’s work in illuminating the tenacious path from the identity of prisoner to writer. We are proud to celebrate not only Mr. Bunker’s contribution to letters and film, but also his continued influence on a new generation of writers who show deep dedication to, and passion for, the craft of writing, and a compelling creative vision. Listen to close friend of Edward Bunker, Danny Trejo, describe their long friendship and lessons in staying humble. Eddie Bunker's wife, Jennifer Steele, and son, Brendan Bunker join Eddie's agent Jeanne Field, PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Program director Caits Meissner, and Program manager Robert Pollock in discussing Eddie Bunker's legacy. This event celebrated the legacy of Eddie Bunker with a preview of award-winning works from the 2019 winners, read by bridgette bianca, Dorothy Randall Gray, Darrell Larson, Laurie O’Brien, Laurie Okin, Christopher Soto, and Carl Weintraub. Read more about the event and award at: https://pen.org/event/celebrating-edward-bunker/ Audio Credit: Intro by Mark Gallagher Music by Orquesta Arrecife

Many Americans agree that our criminal justice system needs thorough reform—but how can public sentiment lead to effective systemic changes? Moderated by Andrea J Ritchie (2:12) Author of Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color with the 2018-2019 Writing for Justice Fellows Priscilla Ocen (9:03) Nadja Eisenberg-Guyot (13:21) Beth Shelburne (16:52) Keeona Harris (21:06) David Sanchez (26:08) David Heska Wanbli Weiden (28:30) featuring criminal justice experts: Fred Patrick (45:50) Director of the Center on Sentencing and Corrections at the Vera Institute of Justice Lorenzo Jones (58:03) Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director at the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice Marlon Peterson (1:07:14) Host of the Decarcerated Podcast and an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity Bianca Tylek (1:09:21) Founder & Executive Director of Worth Rises Kandra Clark (1:16:14) Exodus Transitional Community On behalf of the Art for Justice Fund, PEN America is honored to engage the literary community and confront our era of mass incarceration through the Writing For Justice Fellowship. Read our interview with host Andrea J. Ritchie here: https://pen.org/works-of-justice-andrea-j-ritchie-interview/ Special thanks to the Center for Social Innovation for hosting the event: https://nyc.socialinnovation.org/

What risks do incarcerated writers face when their words travel beyond prison walls? And how do audiences of their work read, honor, and bear witness without assuming voyeuristic or exploitative perspectives? The PEN America Prison Writing Program commissioned currently incarcerated writers to reflect on these and other tensions between the realm of public readership and the often hidden creative life in prison. Dynamic authors, poets, activists, and actors Mahogany L. Browne, Aja Monet, Jon Sands, Christopher Soto, Kirya Traber and Jecoina Vinson bring the writers’ messages to life on the stage. Featuring original work by: Brian Batchelor, Peter Dunne, Greg Goodman, Lacino Hamilton, Elizabeth Hawes, Matthew Feeney, Benjamin Frandsen, Arthur Longworth, Justin Rovillos Monson, Santonio Murff and Joe Vanderford See more about the event at: https://pen.org/works-of-justice-on-writing-in-prison/

This evening of conversations with writers, editors and publishers confronts the challenges and ethics of publishing incarcerated writers, and reimagining the boundaries of what is possible. In addressing the impact of mass incarceration, there is an increasing need to center the voices of those directly impacted—not only as experts, but as integrated contributors. But for writers in prison, access to participation in the literary community is limited by not only stigma and physical restriction, but financial barriers, lack of technology, and censorship. For those who manage to publish against the odds, publicity efforts require creative strategy when book tours are impossible, interviews channel through authority review, advances are siphoned by the state, and context automatically forces categorization by the author’s relationship with incarceration or crime, regardless of the work’s content. Kathryn Belden is vice president and executive editor at Scribner. She is the editor of The Graybar Hotel by Curtis Dawkins. Eli Hager is a staff writer at The Marshall Project covering issues including juvenile justice, fines and fees, and prosecutors and public defenders. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and elsewhere. Randall Horton is the author of The Definition of Place (2006) and Lingua Franca of Ninth Street (2009), both from Main Street Rag. He also serves as senior editor for Willow Books and editor-in-chief for Tidal Basin Review. Mitchell S. Jackson is the author of Survival Math. His debut novel The Residue Years was praised by publications, including The New York Times, The Paris Review, and The Times (London). He serves on the faculty at New York University and Columbia University. Tim O’Connell is an editor at Vintage Anchor, A. A. Knopf, and Pantheon Books. He is the editor of Cherry by Nicholas Walker. Special thanks to partner Housing Works Bookstore Cafe: https://www.housingworks.org/locations/bookstore-cafe

Hosted by Mariame Kaba, activist, organizer, and founder of Project NIA (which advocates the end of youth incarceration), editors and curators of The Long Term: Resisting Life Sentences Working Toward Freedom (Haymarket Press) will read and discuss the narratives of people surviving the effects of long-term incarceration. Read our interview with artist and contributor Sarah Ross here: https://pen.org/works-of-justice-sarah-ross-the-long-term/

Open Doors Reality Poets launches their anthology Wheeling & Healing, edited by the Reality Poets. The Reality Poets invited residents of their long-term care facility, neighbors on Roosevelt Island, mentors, and friends to contribute poems toward a message of realness, resilience, and healing. OPEN DOORS is an arts and justice initiative, on Roosevelt Island, based in the long-term care facility where many members live and work. Collaborating with established artists, members use storytelling, hip-hop and spoken word to challenge audiences to combat the injustice that breeds violence in our cities. OPEN DOORS returns to the NYC neighborhoods where members grew up to inform young people about rarely considered consequences of gun violence, and to encourage them to become positive change makers. Read our interview with two of the reality poets, Tito and Jay here: https://pen.org/works-of-justice-reality-poets/

Award-winning journalist Kyle Swenson joins us to discuss Good Kids, Bad City, his first book about the true story of the longest wrongful imprisonment in the United States to end in exoneration, and a critical social and political history of Cleveland, the city that convicted them. In an immersive exploration of race in America, Swenson investigates this disgraceful miscarriage of justice, and how the corruption and decay of Cleveland led to their wrongful imprisonment. Kyle Swenson is a reporter with The Washington Post‘s Morning Mix team. Prior to joining The Post in 2017, he covered South Florida for the New Times Broward-Palm Beach. His reporting on the criminal justice system and features have won several national awards, including the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. In 2015 he was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, The New Republic, and Longreads. A graduate of Kenyon College, he lives in Washington, D.C. Good Kids, Bad City is his first book. Read our interview with Kyle Swenson at: https://pen.org/works-of-justice-kyle-swenson-interview/ Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe hosts events throughout the year. Special thanks to Rosie Clarke who helped envision the first four events in this series and inspire this channel. See more about Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe at: https://www.housingworks.org/