Writing For Liberation

Empowerment Avenue’s Writing for Liberation track is a collection of the most skilled and insightful writers and journalists who happen to be incarcerated. At any given time, Empowerment Avenue supports 25 to 30 writers in facilities around the country.

Empowerment Avenue is not a publisher. Instead, we help writers pursue their freelance writing careers. We are the intermediary who helps writers get published and paid. This works by using a “one on one” volunteer model — we pair inside writers with volunteers on the outside with writing and editing experience. The pair work together to develop ideas, refine writing, pitch it out and secure publishing and payment.

Between May of 2020 and March of 2023, Empowerment Avenue writers earned over $110,000 in earnings from writing. Writers have published hundreds of articles, essays, op-eds and investigative reporting in dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald, The Appeal and Marshall Project.

Empowerment Avenue writers have access to a number of resources beyond one-one-one volunteer support. We provide funding for supplies like stamps and books, send them outside media including news articles, newsletters and magazines, and connect them to editors and publishers seeking to work with incarcerated people.

**We do not have an open application process into the program. We recruit writers who have already begun to publish their work.

Empowerment Avenue Writers

Aaron Edward Olson

CONTACT:

Securus: Aaron Olson #327076 / Washington State

BYLINES:

Seattle Journal for Social Justice, Jewish Currents, Waging Nonviolence

SPECIALITY:
Journalism, descriptive nonfiction and audio broadcast. Exposing injustice, promoting prison abolition and sentencing reform, and advocating for recidivism reduction and building safer communities.

Aaron M. Kinzer

PAROLED
CONTACT:

kinzerwriter@gmail.com

BYLINES:

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Parents Magazine, the Marshall Project  

SPECIALITY:
A Georgia-based writer specializing in op-eds, personal essays and poetry on the experiences of citizens in and out of the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Antoine Davis

CONTACT:

Securus: Antoine Davis  #330662 / Washington State

BYLINES:

Truthout, The Appeal, CounterPunch+

SPECIALITY:
Reporting on the prison conditions in Washington State, personal narratives, and inspiring stories that highlight the power of faith in prison.

April Harris

CONTACT:

GettingOut: April Harris #W74178 / California

BYLINES:

Apogee Journal, ZEKE Magazine, Brooklyn Museum

SPECIALITY:
Poetry and personal essays on California prison conditions, advocacy writing for incarcerated people and the betterment of their environment.

C. Dreams

PAROLED
CONTACT:

Christinasvida@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Nursing Clio, The Appeal, Scalawag

SPECIALITY:
Theology, history, prisoner rights, prison conditions, policing, surveillance and abolitionism.

Carla J. Simmons

CONTACT:

Carla Simmons #1238655

Lee Arrendale State Prison, PO Box 709, Alton, Georgia 30510

BYLINES:

Scalawag Magazine, Justice Arts Coalition,The Other Almanac

SPECIALITY:
Essays and illustrations that explore the psychological and physiological harm done by the carceral system, while re-imagining justice and healing.

Catherine LaFleur

CONTACT:

Securus: Catherine LaFleur #J14175 / Florida

BYLINES:

Exchange for Change, PEN America, Prisoner Express

SPECIALITY:
A Florida based writer bringing slices of prison life stories, poetry, personal essays, and op-eds with a feminist perspective grounded in prison reform and radical restorative justice principles.

Chanell Ricarda Burnette

PAROLED
CONTACT:

ricardatou@yahoo.com

BYLINES:

Marshall Project, Scalawag, Prison Journalism Project

SPECIALITY:
Personal essays on Virginia prison conditions, motherhood, and sustaining family ties across prison walls.

Christopher Blackwell

CONTACT:

Securus: Christopher Blackwell #813709 / Washington State

christopherwilliamblackwell@gmail.com

BYLINES:

New York Times, Huffington Post, The Appeal

SPECIALITY:
Reporting and investigative journalism on Washington State prison conditions, solitary confinement, and prisoner-led programs

Corey Devon Arthur

CONTACT:

JPAY: Corey Arthur #98A7146 / New York

BYLINES:

Writing Class Radio, Marshall Project, Mangoprism

SPECIALITY:
Gonzo journalism, essays, short stories and poems.

D. Babb

CONTACT:

GettingOut: David Babb #P30582 / California

BYLINES:

Prison Journalism Project, Davis Vanguard, Pen America

SPECIALITY:
Prison publishing and reporting on social justice issues, prison conditions and reform, rehabilitation and physical trauma associated with criminality.

Donna Hockman

CONTACT:

JPAY Donna Hockman (#1406120) / Virginia, and freedonnahockman@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Prison Journalism Project

SPECIALITY:
Poetry, nonfiction, and self-help books.

Dorothy Maraglino

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Dorothy Maraglino #WF3620 / California

BYLINES:

Prison Journalism Project, Prison Writers, Justice Arts Coalition

SPECIALITY:
Taking the reader on a journey of the prisoner's physical, emotional, and spiritual experiences.

E. Paris Whitfield

CONTACT:

JPAY: Eric Whitfield #04A3512 / New York

BYLINES:

Albany Times Union, Study & Struggle, Tufts University New National Literary Arts Resentencing Journal

SPECIALITY:
Writing op-eds, essays and poetry through a Black, feminist lens, advocating for prison abolition and legislative change. Seeks liberation and self determination for LGBTQ+ peoples, as well as for our cis-hetero incarcerated partners.

Elizabeth Hawes

CONTACT:

JPAY: Elizabeth Hawes #231469 / Minnesota

BYLINES:

Truthout, Harper's Bazaar, The Journal for Women's Health and Criminal Justice

SPECIALITY:
Essays, plays and poetry documenting the Minnesota prison experience. Gathering stories from incarcerated people and advocating for their children.

Felix Sitthivong

CONTACT:

Securus: Felix Sitthivong #354579 / Washington State

BYLINES:

International Examiner ("On the Fence Line" column), The Guardian, Inquest

SPECIALITY:
Storytelling that is grounded in abolition, connected to community, and deeply inspired by radical love and resistance.

Heather C. Jarvis

PAROLED
CONTACT:

heatherchantelle.93371@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Scalawag Magazine, The Crime Report, winner of the PEN America Fielding A. Dawson Prize

SPECIALITY:
Personal essays and poetry geared around gender specific needs of incarcerated women, raw experiences with addiction, and the familial cycle of generational crime from all angles

Jeremy Busby

CONTACT:

Securus Jeremy Busby (#00881193) / Texas or info@joinjeremy.org

BYLINES:

The Houston Chronicle, The Marshall Project, The Crime Report

SPECIALITY:
Social and criminal justice legislative and judicial issues.

Jimmy Iakovos

CONTACT:

guesswrites65@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Filter Magazine, Scalawag, The Doe-NOTA

SPECIALITY:
Investigative exposé, Southern prisons, short story fiction and nonfiction.

Jonathan Kirkpatrick

CONTACT:

Securus: Jonathan Kirkpatrick #716850 / Washington State

BYLINES:

Filter Magazine, Jewish Currents, Seattle Journal of Social Justice

SPECIALITY:
Harm Reduction, HIV and Hepatitis prevention and awareness and related issues, as well as re-entry concerns for Washington State prisoners.

Juan Moreno Haines

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Juan Haines #K23760 / California

BYLINES:

Solitary Watch, Los Angeles Times, The Appeal

SPECIALITY:
Solutions/investigative journalism related to prison conditions and advisor to organizations seeking to end over-incarcerating people as a means to solve societal problems, such as mental illness and substance use disorders.

Kevin Light-Roth

CONTACT:

Securus: Kevin Light-Roth #812302 / Washington State

BYLINES:

The Hill, The Stranger, The Guardian

SPECIALITY:
Essays and reporting on oppressive systems, corruption and the experiences of people living at the margins.

Kunlyna “K” Tauch

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Kunlyna Tauch #G-54423 / California

BYLINES:

Harper’s Bazaar, Business Insider, the Marshall Project

SPECIALITY:
Cultural storytelling, poetry and personal essays about struggle and perseverance. A focus on the humanistic aspects of the carceral experience.

Kwaneta Harris

CONTACT:

Securus: Kwaneta Harris #01605894 / Texas

BYLINES:

Prism, TruthOut, Dallas Morning News

SPECIALITY:
Reporting, investigative journalism and essays on Texas prison conditions, solitary confinement, and the intersection of race, gender and place.

Lanae Tipton

CONTACT:

Securus: Lanae Tipton #50812018 / Texas

BYLINES:

The Appeal

SPECIALITY:
Testimonial and creative essays, op-eds and poetry offering an active view of carceral hardships from a woman's perspective in Texas prisons.

Marina V. Bueno

CONTACT:

JPAY Marina Bueno (#W26632) / Florida

BYLINES:

The Wild Word, Prison Journalism Project, Scalawag Magazine

SPECIALITY:
Personal essays and memoirs about life inside a Florida Correctional Institution, focusing on the day to day life inside and how we find the strength to remain our true selves.

Marissa Leanne Potts

CONTACT:

Securus: Marissa Potts #17729426 / Texas

BYLINES:

The Appeal

SPECIALITY:
Currently serving a sentence at a prison in Texas, Marissa is a survivor of intimate partner violence and is using her immense pain and turning it into passion.

Michael Ray

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Michael Ray #A669-405 / Ohio

BYLINES:

Blackwell Companion to Public Philosophy, Il Manifesto, the Portager

SPECIALITY:
Philosophy and politics, sometimes woven throughout personal stories and essays derived from experience in Ohio prisons

Michele Scott

PAROLED
CONTACT:

michelescott400@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Elle Magazine, Knock LA, Marshall Project

SPECIALITY:
Author and prison reform advocate who utilizes lived experiences of transformation, despite the conditions of confinement, and advocates for ending life without the possibility of parole.

Mithrellas Curtis

CONTACT:

JPAY: Mithrellas Curtis #1420426 / Virginia

BYLINES:

Prison Journalism Project, Charlottesville Tomorrow

SPECIALITY:
Personal essays uncovering the common humanity in uncommon experiences, recovery and self-development, feminism and women's rights.

Olethus Hill Jr.

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Olethus Hill Jr. #632745 / Ohio

BYLINES:

The Marshall Project, Apogee Journal, The Drift

SPECIALITY:
Creative writing, poetry and personal essays

P.M. Dunne

CONTACT:

JPAY: Peter Dunne #11A0671 / New York

BYLINES:

PEN America, Peripheries Journal, Columbia University Exchange

SPECIALITY:
Neo-existential fiction, poetry, and essays about state-raised individuals overcoming the American prison system

Phillip Smith

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Phillip Smith #0643656 / North Carolina

BYLINES:

Logic(s), The North Carolina Law Review, NC Newsline

SPECIALITY:
Crafting investigative journalism with a narrative nonfiction structure to expose injustice or celebrate personal change by juxtaposing today's paramount issues with our experiences behind the wall.

Raymond Williams

CONTACT:

Securus: Raymond Williams #767974 / Washington State

BYLINES:

Slate, The Progressive, Prism

SPECIALITY:
Foster-care-to-prison pipeline, prison industrial complex abolition, 3-strikes,13th amendment, prison conditions, intergenerational incarceration, criminal legal system transformation, and the socioeconomic impact of mass incarceration.

Ricardo Ferrell

PAROLED
CONTACT:

JPAY: Ricardo Ferrell #140701 / Michigan

BYLINES:

Voice of Detroit, The Gangster Report, University of Michigan PCAP News

SPECIALITY:
Spoken word, articles on mental illness in Michigan Department of Corrections, stories on wrongful convictions/exonerations and advocacy writing on incarcerated individuals rehabilitation

Robert Lee Williams

CONTACT:

JPAY Robert Williams (#10A1230) / New York

BYLINES:

Literary Hub, PEN America, Prison Journalism Project

SPECIALITY:
Feature magazine writing, reported pieces meshed with memoir.

Ryan M. Moser

PAROLED
CONTACT:

mosermultimedia@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Metro Philadelphia, Huffington Post, Poynter Institute

SPECIALITY:
Writing about social justice, addiction, mental health, the environment, and other issues that are important to changing the world. See clips on Muckrack.

Sara G. Kielly

CONTACT:

JPAY: Sara Kielly 21G0314 / New York

BYLINES:

What’s the Tea, New York Daily News, Solitary Watch

SPECIALITY:
Investigative and whistleblower articles and op-eds regarding prison conditions in New York State prisons, particularly in regards to jailhouse lawyering and LGBTQ+ rights and experiences. Poetry, public interest and pop culture news, as well as advice columns for LGBTQ newsletters.

Steve Brooks

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Steven Brooks #K16234 / California

BYLINES:

Sports Illustrated, The Nation, The Appeal

SPECIALITY:
Reporting that focuses on 30+ years of lived carceral experience, including essays, feature articles and investigative news on prison conditions, rehabilitation, reform, social justice and abolition.

Tariq MaQbool

CONTACT:

JPAY: Tariq MaQbool #830758C / New Jersey

BYLINES:

New Jersey Star Ledger, Al Jazeera, Rolling Stone

SPECIALITY:
Personal and reported essays, fiction and poetry to advocate for structural changes to the prison/judicial systems. As an incarcerated writer, I want to tell our stories and define our own narratives.

Tim Young

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Timothy Young #F23374 / California

BYLINES:

Filter, San Francisco Bay View, Knock LA

SPECIALITY:
Essays and poetry about death row in California, the abolition movement, and a wrongful conviction that has kept me incarcerated on California Death Row since 1999.

Tony Cobb

CONTACT:

Securus: Anthony Cobb #194479 / Florida

BYLINES:

Scalawag Magazine, Prism, Prison Journalism Project

SPECIALITY:
Personal essays on Florida prison experiences and conditions, as well as advocacy for incarcerated Muslims and better support and advocacy for Florida’s felony murder rule.

Tony Vick

CONTACT:

Tony Vick, #276187 / Tennessee

insidewriters53@gmail.com

BYLINES:

Secrets From A Prison Cell, Locked In and Locked Out, Filter Magazine

SPECIALITY:
Writes about the trauma of incarceration.

Traci Jackson

CONTACT:

GettingOut: Tyrone Jackson #AF1680 / California

BYLINES:

Audostraddle, Apogee Journal, Prison Journalism Project

SPECIALITY:
Negative and positive essays surrounding the California prison system and the treatment of transgender people in incarceration, as well as music lyrics and poems.

Xandan Gulley

CONTACT:

Securus Britney Gulley (#01601283) / Texas

BYLINES:

San Francisco Bayview, Southern Cultures, Solitary Watch

SPECIALITY:
A F2M transgender and political prisoner, and captive of prolonged solitary confinement, writing about Texas prison conditions.
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Artwork Detail: Monument to a Valley, Jeffery Isom, 2022