Resources: Educational Resources

The PEN prison writing program provide hundreds of imprisoned writers across the country with free writing resources, skilled mentors, and audiences for their work. Its program supports free expression, and encourages the use of the written word as a legitimate form of power.  In additional to mentoring, PEN publishes a national list of prison-based creative writing programs, sponsors an annual writing contest, publishes the free book Handbook for Writers In Prison, conducts workshops, and seeks to promote prisoners' work publicly through literary publications and readings. Serves writers nationally.

Goal is to provide prisoners, prison staff and prison volunteers, with the most effective, proven tools for rehabilitation, self-transformation, and personal & professional development through mindfulness-based interventions (MBI’s). The Prison Dharma Network works with volunteers who offer meditation inside prisons. Its Books Behind Bars program will mail mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhism to people inside prison. its Prison Dharma Press sells additional books about buddhism and meditation in prison.

Accepts and sells/distributes prisoner art, publishes prisoner books online, and stages annual shows at the Kennedy Center in
DC. All services free; write for submission guidelines; state whether you are a writer or artist (SASE ensures quick reply).

Dedicated to disseminating the Siddha Yoga meditation teachings and practices to incarcerated individuals. Sends its free monthly In Search of the Self meditation course with a companion newsletter to interested seekers. Write or call to get signed up. Serves people nationally.

Digital archive of non-fiction essays that offers the public first-hand testimony to the living and working conditions experienced by prisoners, prison employees, and prison volunteers. All prisoners can contribute. Non-fiction essays, based on first-hand experience, should be limited to 5,000 words (15 double-spaced pages). Clearly hand-written pages are also welcome. They charge no fees and read all writing submitted. Write in for the permissions-questionnaire, which MUST accompany all submissions. Serves writers nationally.

Osborne offers a wide range of direct services to justice system-involved people and their children and families. Our programs and services are evidence- and experience-based and designed to reduce crime and reliance on incarceration, heal the damage and trauma of crime and incarceration, and enhance opportunity for those affected by crime and incarceration. Offers services to incarcerated parents as well. Write for list of programs and services. The Osborne Association has three locations: in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Newburgh. Only Servces People in New York.

UC Books to Prisoners is an Urbana, Illinois based project providing books at no cost by mail to inmates in state and federal prisons, as well as in two county jail libraries in Illinois. Serves people in Illinois only.