American Prison Writing Archive
The mission of the American Prison Writing Archive (APWA) is to replace misrepresentation of prisons and imprisoned people with first-person witness by those living on the receiving end of failed systems and enduring inequality.
Freebird Publishers is based in Massachusetts (MA) and services the entire United States. We provide inmate services, prisoner publications, education for inmates, prisoner services, and other products for the incarcerated. We also offer self-publishing services to inmates and their loved ones.
For more than five decades, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing program has amplified the work of thousands of writers who are creating while incarcerated in the United States. By providing resources, mentorship, and audiences outside the walls, we help these writers to join and enrich the broader literary community. Committed to the freedom to write in U.S. prisons as a critical free expression issue of our time, we leverage the transformative possibilities of writing to raise public consciousness about the societal implications of mass incarceration and support the development of justice-involved literary talent.
Phoebe Journal's The Incarcerated Writers Project
The Incarcerated Writers Project was started by the editors at phoebe as a way to open the publishing platform to writers in prisons across the United States. This population has been traditionally overlooked, undervalued, and pushed to the margins. We believe the inclusion of their literary voices will enlarge and ultimately strengthen the artistic and scholarly community.
Prison Foundation and Safe Streets Arts Foundation
Our mission is to assist with the productivity and self-esteem of prisoners, 95% of whom will return to society as your future neighbors. The Prisons Foundation helps prisoners publish their books on Amazon.com. It provides free information and advice to publish on Amazon, as well as paid services for editing, typing, designing covers, and uploading manuscripts. Its sister nonprofit Safe Streets Arts Foundation produces art and stage shows at the John F, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the annual Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival, as well as other venues including colleges and universities.
Creating a national network of prison journalists. Information about the prison system is limited, and policy makers and voters are shaping the lives of incarcerated people without their input. We’re bringing transparency to the world of mass incarceration from the inside and training incarcerated writers to be journalists, so they can participate in the dialogue about criminal legal reform.
What happens in prison has always stayed in prison. Prison Writers is working to change that. We believe a crucial voice is missing in the ongoing debate about how to fix our broken prison system: the voice of the people who live there. We offer uncensored, personal stories and thoughtful essays from incarcerated citizens across the country about what really goes on inside the secretive world of prison corrections.
Prisoner Express creates an opportunity for incarcerated men and women to get information, education and a public forum for creative self-expression. Through our newsletters and programs we step through the isolation and alienation of prison life – our goal is to bring hope and foster a sense of community among the prisoners who participate.
Voices From Inside has been a resource for currently and formerly incarcerated women since 1999, providing resources and space for creative expression and building community.