We had the most successful Stories From the Inside Out to date this past February! We received $1,600 in audience donations and the panel discussion was very well-received. Thanks to all who participated!
We visited the men incarcerated at the Randall L. Williams Correction Center, located in Pine Bluff, AR last month. Troy Schremmer, our director for this round, edited and put together a compelling script from the men’s writing we received when we visited last November. It was so cool to be able to afford to travel back in only four months so that those who participated in the November creative writing intensive could hear their stories told back in the staged reading that Troy produced from their work. This, thanks in large part, to our grant from the Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Katie Nichol and Matt Henrikson, our creative writing team, provided 24 men with another two-day creative writing intensive. After we returned home we got a letter from an inmate who said this those two days:
“I do know that we (all of us) will not be forgotten as ‘just in passing’ because of your commitment and passion. I truly believe a special bond was shared in that room. Funny how I can look at these same individuals (the other participants) who I’ve seen every day and now when we see one another there is this ‘knowing’. Even if we don’t say a word. Super cool! I truly loved what we were able to do.
Attending the staged reading at Pine Bluff last month was the warden from Varner Prison, just up the road in Gould, AR. Varner is a super-max prison where 34 death row inmates are held. This was the second time the Varner warden had accepted our invitation to attend the RLW Correction Center staged readings. We had invited him in hopes that he could witness our work and invite us to Varner to offer the Prison Story Project to death row inmates.
We are pleased to announce that the warden has approved us to begin working with death row inmates beginning next month. We will be working with death row inmates from May through November the mail and in person.
This is an exciting time for The Prison Story Project as we grow our outreach to other prison populations. As our outreach grows, so grow our $$ needs.
You may send donations to The Prison Story Project, PO Box 1013, Fayetteville, AR 72702 or just click the donate button here on the website to make your tax-deductible contribution.