This collection includes voices and perspectives from prisoners, former prisoners, scholars, and activists to examine the invisible and closed system of incarceration that characterizes the massive U.S. prison industry. The book explores the role of writing in carceral settings, including material realities, ethics, and social justice.

Foreword- Sister Helen Prejean Dedication Preface-Ann Folwell Stanford and Tobi Jacobi Introduction-Ann Folwell Stanford Where We Are From-SpeakOut Writers Section 1: Writing and Reclaiming Self 1. My Words are Brain and Bone Marrow-Jessica Hill 2. From Nonna’s Table to Book Signings: Under the Influence of the Pen-Nancy Birkla 3. This Ain’t No Holiday Inn, Griffin: Finding Freedom on the Blank Page-Dionna Griffin 4. A Symphony of Medicine-Shelley Goldman, a/k/a S. Phillips 5. The Girl Behind the Smile-Judith Clark 6. Writing to Survive the Madness: Letters from Prison-Sarah Anonymous and Patricia O’Brien 7. My Voice through a Deadbolt Door-Crista Decker 8. Rolling with the Punches-Irene C. Baird Section II: Bridging Communities: Writing Programs and Social Practice 9. Good Intentions Aside: The Ethics of Reciprocity in a University-Jail Women’s Writing Workshop Collaboration-Sadie Reynolds 10. Jumble of Thoughts-Sandy Sysyn 11. Incorporeal Transformations: The Power of Audience for Women Writing in Prison-Tom Kerr 12. Writing Exchanges: Composing across Prison and University Classrooms-Wendy Hinshaw and Kathie Klarreich 13. Mothers and Daughters: Meditations on Women’s Prison Theatre-Jean Trounstine 14. As Others Stand By and Ask Questions-Roshanda Melton 15. Poetry, Audience, and Leaving Prison-Hettie Jones Section III: Writing, Resistance, and the Material Realities of US Prisons and Jails 16. “…to speak in one’s own voice”: The Power of Women’s Prison Writing-Judith Scheffler 17. Writing is My Way of Sledge Hammering These Walls-Taylor Huey 18. She Bore the Lyrical Name of Velmarine Szabo-Clarinda Harriss 19. “You Just Threatened My Life”: Struggling to Write in Prison-Velmarine O. Szabo 20. Out at the Swamp and Back-Gretchen Schumacher 21. I am Antarctica: I Shriek, I Accuse, I Write-Boudicca Burning 22. No Stopping Them: Women Writers at York Correctional-Bell Gale Chevigny 23. Dear Shelly: Reflections on the Politics of Teaching Inside-Tshehaye Hebert 24. All with the Stroke of a Pen-Joyce Cohen 25. The Prisoner’s Lament-Samsara Afterword Tobi Jacobi Hope is There Cree About the Authors Appendix Resources for Facilitating Prison Writing Workshops Selected Bibliography Index    

This powerful volume is the best possible portal for approaching the vital impact of the word in the context of incarceration.  The voices of advocates, activists, academics—and, most brilliantly, the voices of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women—deploy astonishing and effective languages of clarity, truth, and justice.  The rational passion on these pages is startling and unforgettable.