Forbidden Knowledge

History warns us of the dangers of banning books, but the effects of information control on imprisoned women are intimate and profound. More

Now This Is Man

Joseph Grosso was awarded 2nd Place in Nonfiction Essay in the 2022 Prison Writing Contest. Every year, hundreds of imprisoned people from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and… More

Collage of various images: Etheridge Knight, illustration of the New York City skyline, Attica Prison Uprising, “PEN America Prison and Justice Writing” overlaid on a manila envelope with stamps, an illustration of a book, a butterfly and from mail, and an illustration of prison bars

Prison and Justice Writing

PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing program amplifies the work of thousands of writers who are creating while incarcerated in the United States. More

The Sentences That Create Us book cover and quote from Michelle Alexander

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