Behind bars, those serving sentences may feel trapped in a world far different than the one they left behind. By design, prison is uncomfortable and unfamiliar to most. Yet it can also provide an opportunity for growth, especially from programs like the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop.
IPWW is a 12-week creative writing program that serves men in four Indiana correctional facilities. Since it began in 2017, 84 men have participated in the program. IPWW’s goal is to give these men an outlet for expression and help them improve communication skills before they reenter society.
But does it work? A team with the Center for Health and Justice Research at the IU Public Policy Institute partnered with IPWW and the Indiana Department of Correction to find out.