Prison & Justice Writing
For more than four decades, PEN America’s Prison Writing Program has amplified the writing of thousands of imprisoned writers by providing free resources, skilled mentors, and audiences for their writing. We are proud to share our deepening commitment to confronting our era of mass incarceration with the launch of the 2018 PEN America Writing For Justice Fellowship. Read below for more information about our initiatives.
For information on writing programs in prison across the United States, check out our living document database.
Writing for Justice Fellowship
PEN America’s Writing for Justice Fellowship commissions writers—emerging or established—to create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate. Learn more about the 2018 Fellows »
Prison Writing Program
Founded in 1971, the PEN Prison Writing Program believes in the restorative, rehabilitative and transformative possibilities of writing. We provide hundreds of imprisoned writers across the country with free writing resources, skilled mentors, and audiences for their work. Our program supports free expression, and encourages the use of the written word as a legitimate form of power. We strive towards an increasingly integrative approach, aiming to amplify the voices and writing of imprisoned people to expand beyond the silo of prison, and identity of prisoner.
Download a printable PDF copy of our offerings.
Handbook for Writers in Prison
PEN’s Handbook for Writers in Prison features detailed guides on the art of writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays—an invaluable resource for any writer. Each year, thousands of free copies are sent to incarcerated men and women.
Annual Prison Writing Contest
Every year hundreds of imprisoned writers from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works to PEN’s Prison Writing Contest, one of the few outlets of free expression for the country’s incarcerated population.
Mentorship Program
Consisting of more than 250 mentors working with close to 250 incarcerated writers, PEN America’s Prison Writing Mentorships continues to be the most interactive and engaging project in the Prison Writing Program.
The Prison Writing Contest Prizes are sponsored by the generous support of the Greenburger Center for Social & Criminal Justice.
Programming for PEN America’s Prison Writing Program is made possible in part by generous funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Read Award-Winning Works from the PEN Prison Writing Contest
My Penal Vacation
"I caught the elderly lady looking toward the bus stop a few times, probably disappointed at the loss of a customer. Count your blessings lady, I think to myself.… More
The Bizarre Conclusion of Walter Germany
"Look at yourself, sitting there with your teeny pop gun, defending your castle against what? Where are the intruders? Remember what they say: the best defense is a good offense, right?" More
The Named and the Nameless
"I had never known Vince very well. He was of my father's generation, and during the sixties and seventies that was reason enough for me to maintain a respectful… More
Regret’s Tragic Romance
"Didn't anybody understand he was MY dad long before he was anything to them? I admit I was jealous and a little angry. I may even have subconsciously wandered… More
The Glitter Squirrel in Me
"You / bring out the Glitter Squirrel in me / The reading dreamer / The yearbook’s class clown / The nacho-eating Twin’s fan" More
Limp Gray Fur
"I am neurotically productive, reading, studying, writing, exercising – doing something at all times, anything except nothing." More
Discovery after twenty years in prison
"Sometimes I fear / I might be / A sociopath / I have such / A propensity / For violence" More
Conflagration
"I felt a line of saliva fall out of my numbing mouth while I stared at the bright red bumps of the stings on my ankles. I don't remember… More
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