Seven years ago, Kim Buchinsky was considered such a star at Amherst Writers Anonymous—a program for low-income women—that facilitators urged her to lead a group of her own. “I had no interest until I volunteered to pick up some women at a half-way house,” she says. “I realized that the women just released from prison and I struggled with many of the same issues.”
Today, Buchinsky is still in awe of the writing that comes from women both behind bars and those recently released. “Most don’t even have high school diplomas. They think they can’t write, yet they are incredibly talented,” she says.
Writing from the Heart
Writing programs for prisoners throughout the nation provide a voice for women cut off from society. Some are sponsored by colleges and non-profits; others are loosely structured, relying on unaffiliated volunteers and the cooperation of individual wardens.
Buchinsky is currently a facilitator at Voices from the Inside, an offshoot of Amherst Writers Anonymous. “We treat all writing as fiction even though many prisoners write of the terrible experiences in their lives,” she says. A running theme from mothers is longing for their children, which is particularly acute as Mother’s Day approaches.
Leaders provide prompts or set up scenarios like “put yourself in a fairy tale.” Once, Buchinsky smuggled in a variety of condoms—a topic inmates found hilarious. The group writes and then shares their stories. Facilitators type the papers and make suggestions. Once edited, they are retyped. “I love that first moment when a new writer sees her work all clean and beautiful,” Buchinsky says. At the end of ten weeks, each participant receives a copy of a book written by the class. “They have so much raw talent,” she says. “All we do is unleash it.”
Writing Is Its Own Reward
Writing is a proven panacea for many ills, both mental and physical. It also builds confidence and listening, reading, and speaking skills.
In a different model, Beyond Media’s Web site also gives prisoners a way to share their emotions. “We don’t run a writing program. Instead, we ask prisoners to submit their work to the site,” says Joanne Archibald, associate director.
The PEN Prison Writing Program offers yet another model. Inmates submit their writings via snail mail to mentors like Steven Hobbs, a graduate student at the New School in New York City. Hobbs reads and comments on their work and returns it for revision.
PEN sponsors an annual writing contest and publishes a free writing handbook for prisoners. It also conducts workshops for former inmates and encourages them to share their experiences. Hobbs is mentoring one of the contest winners whose work will appear in an upcoming publication. PEN’s book, “Doing Time: 25 Years of Prison Writing” (Arcade Publications, 1999) was widely acclaimed.
Children Pay the Price
Archibald, who was incarcerated herself when she had an infant, understands full well what the women experience. “I was lucky,” she says. “A friend cared for my son and brought him to visit constantly. Other women hadn’t seen their children for years.” She also had a supportive family and a few years of college under her belt. Still, she struggled to regain lost time—and so did her son.
Some of the most heartbreaking letters at Beyond Media’s site come from the children who posted essays on the “Mothers Day Rally” link. A few are from young adults whose mothers were absent for the better part of their childhoods. Others are from young children still struggling in a world without a mom’s discipline and loving touch. Seeing their words in print gives both mother and child an outlet for their angst.
Related Story: Mother’s Day: Women and Prison
