PEN America Prison Justice and Writing

Since the mid-1970s, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program (PJW) has supported and amplified the work of thousands of writers who are creating while incarcerated in the United States. Recognizing that the freedom to write in U.S. prisons is a critical free expression issue of our time, PJW leverages the transformative possibilities of writing to raise public consciousness about incarceration and justice, and supports the development of justice-involved literary talent. The annual PEN Prison Writing Awards recognizes exceptional works in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and playwriting/screenwriting with cash prizes, development support through the PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program, and publication in an annual anthology series. Additionally, by providing free copies of our recently updated handbook, The Sentences that Create Us: Crafting a Writer's Life in Prison (Haymarket Books, 2022), PJW strives to bridge access to the broader literary community. Serves writers nationally.