Sit in any prison classroom or recreation room in any prison in the country and ask yourself: How many writers are in the room. How many people are writing rhymes or poems? Carefully-folded pieces of paper come out of pockets – words written in tightly stylized hand-writing. And more often … Continue reading
For D.C. youths who get caught up in the adult system, prison isn’t just an experience, it’s a journey. Because it’s not a full-fledged state, the District of Columbia doesn’t maintain prisons. That means anyone with a sentence too long to be served out at the D.C. Jail— gets shipped … Continue reading
A poet famous for writing about the civil rights movement and for epitomizing black arts movement feminism, Sonia Sanchez passed through Attica’s gates 8 years after its legendary 1971 uprising. Though she’d never been incarcerated herself, for several years, she’d been married to widely praised prison poet Etheridge Knight. … Continue reading
We travel to Indianapolis, IN to explore the story of literary great Etheridge Knight, who published his first book, the soulful 1968 masterpiece “Poems from Prison,” while incarcerated at Indiana State Prison. Knight wrote as a prisoner, drug-addict and Korean War veteran. In this episode PPW explores the beauty and … Continue reading
We take to the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana to ask folks about their connection to the criminal justice system. In the state of Louisiana, one in 86 adults are in prison and one in 55 adults are in jail, leading some to refer to Louisiana as the incarceration capital … Continue reading
Long before the term La Vida Loca became a song hook for early-aught pop star Ricky Martin, in Los Angeles California, it denoted a lifestyle.The crazy life was a life of partying and death, liquor and drivebys, funerals and sex— in essence, the modus operandi of the gangbanger. Inviting us … Continue reading
Michigan has always been home to a number of bustling American enterprises, including the prison industry. Each year, the state’s correctional facilities take on 50 to 60,000 more “felons,” in a process that seems as endless as it is overwhelming. In this episode, we visit with those most likely to … Continue reading
John Lomax and his son Alan toured the South in the 1930s gathering music for the Library of Congress. Life then, and now, can be pretty tough in Alabama prisons. We travel with the inspirational Alabama Prison Arts & Education Project looking for prison poetry and prison poets to discover how … Continue reading