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”