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New PEN America Report: U.S. Prisons Ban Staggering Numbers of Books

Press ReleaseOctober 25, 2023

“The extent of prison book banning is alarming and an attack on the written word itself.” said Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project and lead author… More

PEN America Responds to Texas Decision to Roll Back “Approved Vendor” Policy in Prisons

Press ReleaseOctober 11, 2023

Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Any effort to limit literacy and access to information is censorship, which should not be the mechanism prisons use… More

Fear that New Texas Policy Will Limit Books Allowed in Prisons

Press ReleaseOctober 3, 2023

(NEW YORK)— Without notification, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has apparently implemented an “approved vendor” policy for its prisons, a type of censorship that PEN America opposes… More

With Massive Book Banning in Prisons, PEN America Presents “Return to Sender: Prison as Censorship,” a NYC Exhibition Sept. 14-Oct. 28

Press ReleaseSeptember 5, 2023

Moira Marquis, an advocate in PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing program, said: “More books are banned in prisons than anywhere else in the country and censorship is rising… More

PEN America Welcomes NY Corrections Department Decision to Rescind “Unjustifiable” Proposal to Limit Free Expression for Incarcerated Writers

Press ReleaseJune 7, 2023

Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Any effort to crush the right of incarcerated people to express themselves, and in particular, to limit literacy and… More

Nineteen Writers Win Coveted Awards in 2022 Prison Writing Contest

Press ReleaseSeptember 7, 2022

Caits Meissner, director of PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing program, said: "This year's submissions underscore the extraordinary resilience, individuality, and indomitable artistry of writers inside prisons. These indispensable… More

Banning of Non-English Dictionaries in Michigan Prisons Tramples on Fundamental Rights

Press ReleaseJune 6, 2022

"To punish a broad segment of the prison population is short-sighted, in addition to trampling on prisoners’ fundamental rights.” More

Online Conversation March 16 on Access to Books in Prisons and the Use of E-Readers

Press ReleaseMarch 14, 2022

With 2 million people in prisons and jails across the country, restricting reading could have profound ramifications for the men and women cycled through the criminal legal system and… More

Prison E-Readers and Tablets Should Be Free During Coronavirus Outbreak

Press ReleaseApril 16, 2020

Companies that provide prison e-readers must waive all access fees amid the coronavirus pandemic. More

Beth Shelburne

The PEN Pod: Incarceration Amid COVID-19 with Beth Shelburne

InterviewApril 14, 2020

“The bottom line is we have too many people in our jails and prisons for far too long, and that makes all of these other issues so much worse.” More

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  • What's New
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