Alex Friedmann

My name is Alex Friedmann and I am incarcerated as a pre-trial detainee. I have not been convicted. I am a long-term criminal justice advocate, and have shed a light on prison privatization and the adverse effects of for-profit prisons. I have spoken before the Tennesse State Legislature and have been interviewed about criminal justice issues in several countries. I was raised overseas but have called TN home for much of my life. I enjoy writing fiction nonfiction and poetry under the watchful eyes of an enthusiastic terrier named Rusty.

2022 PEN America Prison Writing Contest – 1st Place in Drama for “Twenty Years In Solitary – A Play in 20 Acts

1999 PEN America Prison Writing Contest – 1st Place in Drama for “The Row”


Articles by Alex Friedmann

Prison and Justice Writing
Wednesday September 7

Twenty Years In Solitary – A Play in 20 Acts

Alex Friedmann was awarded 1st Place in Drama in the 2022 Prison Writing Contest. Every year, hundreds of imprisoned people from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works to PEN America’s Prison Writing Contest, one of the few outlets of free expression for the country’s incarcerated population. Production Notes: This play is