About PEN America

For more than five decades, PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program has amplified the work of thousands of writers who are creating while incarcerated in the United States. By providing resources, mentorship, and audiences outside the walls, we help these writers to join and enrich the broader literary community. Committed to the freedom to write in U.S. prisons as a critical free expression issue of our time, we leverage the transformative possibilities of writing to raise public consciousness about the societal implications of mass incarceration and support the development of justice-involved literary talent. PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program advocates for the right of imprisoned persons in the US to engage in journalism, creative and research-based writing without fear. We support policies that allow imprisoned authors to publish their writing as a basic First Amendment right to free expression that is not relinquished as a result of incarceration. We also support policies and practices that protect incarcerated writers from any retaliation, official or unofficial, that may occur as a direct result of their writing and publishing activities and challenge carceral censorship.

PEN America Artists

Moira Marquis & Araya Ratanaphruks

Visual Description: This four-part collage is made up of copies of denial forms, appeal forms and other prison paperwork that create the bureaucratic barrier to communication. These are interspersed with excerpts from narratives submitted by incarcerated people explaining their struggles with censorship. An image of a book turning into a bird is painted with black and white acrylic paint and gold leaf on top of the collaged items. 

PEN America Authors

Derek Trumbo
Portrait by Mark A. Cádiz (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Zhi Kai
Portrait by Lamavis Comundoiwilla (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Dwayne Betts
Portrait by Jose Diaz (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Daniel Pirkel
Portrait by Jeffrey Allen Isom (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Kwaneta Harris
Portrait by Elizabeth Lozano (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Elizabeth Hawes
Portrait by Sarah Montoya (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Arthur Longworth
Portrait by Mark Stanley-Bey (Stan-Bey) (Empowerment Avenue Artist)

Visual Description: Main wall, from right to left:

(Right) A framed portrait of Daniel Pirkel on the left wearing a blue and yellow shirt with a solid brown background, accompanied by their framed statement. Framed underneath is Prikel’s censored text. 

(Middle) A framed black and white pencil on paper portrait of Elizabeth Haws with a scale in the background, accompanied by their framed statement. Framed underneath is Haws’s censored text. 

(Left) A framed colored pencil on paper portrait of Derek Trumbo with a yellow background, accompanied by their framed statement. Framed underneath is Trumbo’s censored text. 

Near cell wall:

On the right is a framed photograph of Kwaneta Harris, accompanied by their framed statement. Framed underneath is Harris’s censored text. 

On the left is a framed photograph of Zhi Kai in their graduation gown and cap, accompanied by their framed statement. Framed underneath is Kai’s censored text. 

Model Mailroom

Visual Description: A participatory installation of a mock prison mailroom. The installation includes two large tables, cubbies with letters, a large bin, shelves with books, and an ongoing video projection of censored letters. 

Digitized Mail