PEN America Welcomes NY Corrections Department Decision to Rescind “Unjustifiable” Proposal to Limit Free Expression for Incarcerated Writers
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
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
"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
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
Companies that provide prison e-readers must waive all access fees amid the coronavirus pandemic. More
The PEN Pod: Incarceration Amid COVID-19 with Beth Shelburne
“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
PEN America: Kansas Prison Book Ban Repeats State’s Prior Mistakes
“Kansas’ decision to eliminate their banned books list seemed like something to celebrate. But this new list of banned books suggests a Pyrrhic victory." More
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