Every year, hundreds of imprisoned writers 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. Manuscripts come to the Prison Writing Program in a variety of forms: Some are handwritten, some are typed, some are written in the margins of legal documents. Prizes of $250, $150, $100, and $25 are awarded for first, second, third place, and honorable mention, respectively, in each of the following categories:
POETRY
First Place
Cecil Boatswain, “Turned Out on 42nd Street”
Second Place
Barbara Saunders, “The Red Dress”
Third Place
Allen Lewis, “Alice”
Honorable Mentions
Anthony La Barca Falcone, “A Stranger”
Matthew Wholley, “Wounds”
William Eric Waters, “Heroes series”
FICTION
First Place (tie)
David Wood, “Symbiosis”
James Raupp, Sr., “Composite Soul”
Second Place
Jon Marc Taylor, “One Day in the Life of 23297”
Third Place
Stuart Dawson, “A Different Kind of Firefighter”
Honorable Mentions
George Hughes, “A Ring on a Wire”
Paul Aliff, “The Never-Ending Story”
Richard E. Sloane, “Animal Crackers”
William Chaplar, “Rain”
MEMOIR
Award Winner
D. Michael Martin, “100 Soldiers”
Honorable Mentions
Edward Bell, “T.G.I.F.?”
Lance E. Fleming, “Interstate Flight”
Lou Torok, “The Mystery of Aunt Lilly”
ESSAY
First Place
Michael Wayne Hunter, “California’s Death Row”
Second Place
Stephen Fraley, “Restorative Justice”
Third Place
Bruce Graham, “How Increased Program Spending Can Lower Incarceration Costs”
Honorable Mentions
George Hughes, “The Alphabet Man”
Jack Anthony Barnes, “Fatalistic Visions”
Rafiki Abdul Karin, “Nursing Home Behind Bars”
Tommy Cob, “Chastisement: Meklenberg Style”
DRAMA
First Place
James Quirk, “Tears for Samantha”
Second Place
James Raupp, Sr., “Thrown Stones and Retro Moans”
Third Place
Tracy Evans, “Jailhouse Lawyers”
Honorable Mentions
Lance E. Fleming, “Piranhas”