The Sentences That Create Us
A road map for incarcerated people and their allies to have a thriving writing life behind bars—and shared beyond the walls—that draws on the unique insights of more than… More
As I Hear the Rain
In this week's special edition of the Illustrated PEN, we present "As I Hear the Rain" a series of illustrations that accompany winning manuscripts from the 2019 Prison Writing… More
Works of Justice—BREAK OUT: A Movement
This September, PEN America and The Poetry Project launch BREAK OUT: a movement to (re)integrate incarcerated writers into literary community. More
Works of Justice: A Question of Justice
Many Americans agree that our criminal justice system needs thorough reform—but how can public sentiment lead to effective systemic changes? On May 11, 2019, as part of the PEN… More
Works of Justice: On Writing in Prison
The Prison Writing Program commissioned currently incarcerated writers to reflect on the hidden creative life in prison for the 2019 World Voices Festival. More
Works of Justice: An Interview with Writing for Justice Fellow Thomas Bartlett Whitaker
"Within my writings, I am able to take a moral stand against a site and an ideology that I feel to be both overwhelming and inherently broken." More
Works of Justice: An Interview with Writing for Justice Fellow Justin Rovillos Monson
"Writing expanded my world at a time when everything felt so small and suffocating. As embarrassingly cliché as it is to say, writing gave me a breadth of hope." More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
School districts from Pennsylvania to Wyoming are bowing to pressure from some conservative groups to review — then purge from public school libraries — books about LGBTQ issues and people of color. https://www.axios.com/a-book-purge-surge-35989d99-cfdf-4c5e-b9fd-daa857c50079.html
Congrats to @cait_meissner for THE SENTENCES THAT CREATE US, unique insights of over fifty justice-involved contributors & their allies offering inspiration and resources for creating a literary life in prison. Out today from @HaymarketBooks & @penamerica! http://pen.org/sentencesthatcreateus
